Advice please - dd 18 mo not talking

[WhitePeacock]

Just would like to know if you think I should worry or seek further guidance, as am getting in a fluster about her little pals and cousin who are gobbing away all day! I so look forward to hearing her little voice and don't want to wait till she's 7 even if she is a girl Einstein. Would v much appreciate advice from anyone who's experienced similar.

Dd is very physically active and well-coordinated for her age (unlike her lazy, chattering parents.) She understands and acts on sentences like "please pass mummy her shoes", barks realistically at dogs, and teases us by apparently saying a word - Daddy, hello, bah-bye, taxi - once in a while and then NEVER SAYING IT AGAIN so we think we've dreamed it. She blows vigorously for "hot" and does a splendid "oof" for heavy, but otherwise relies on 'da', pointing and shaking her head to get her meaning across. Should I worry, wait, try to press her to talk rather than shouting gesturing? Please help!

At 19 1/2 months my dc2 said 5 words. At 18 months I'm pretty sure he had only one or two. By 2 he had absolutely loads. At 5 I often wish he said a little less. DC3 was even slower off the mark than her brother and at 2 1/2 speaks pretty well. I think no, or very few, words at 18 months is well within the normal range. If she wasn't saying anything by 2 it might be worth a chat with a speech therapist but a lot will change in 6 months.

She sounds absolutely normal to me. My dd didn't speak until she was 2. I talked to a speech and language therapist who reassured me that as long as she seemed to understand what we were saying to her, and was beginning to follow basic instructions, questions or requests, then the speech was likely to follow. She was absolutely right! Dd went from having a few animal noises at 21 months, to talking in full sentences just after her second birthday, with very little in-between!

Don't ask her questions, instead, label what she's doing. E.g. That's a big, red car dd. The red car is racing. Etc.

If she is vocalising to some degree, ie making sounds, and pointing, then she is doing the right things towards speech, according to both my fantastic health visitor and dd's consultant paediatrican (prem so seen until she's two just in case). My dd is nearly 20mo (19 if you adjust her age) and I was similarly worried at 17/18 months as my ds was a very good speaker from an early age and saying loads by a similar time. However.... my ds has cerebral palsy (undiagnosed still at that age) and couldn't do anything physically, not even roll over or sit up, so all his focus went into doing the stuff he could do. Dd is a little whirlwind of activity not being disabled. Just a month or two on and she is starting to say other words apart from mama, dada, something for her brother's name and ta-ta which she had done for ages but nothing else. Things like ear, toes, shoe, wee-wee, nose etc.

As you say your dd is a very physical child, she is probably putting her focus into that. HV said they do one thing at a time at that age.

Dd has been singing the tune to twinkle twinkle like a good 'un since New Year though .

Hope that helps.

I'd say do not worry.

This time last year my ds1 was 2.1yrs old and said nothing. NOT A SINGLE WORD.

Now at 3.1yrs old he holds full conversations with anyone who will listen.

We did have hearing tests done which where all fine. He was referred to SALT but only had his first appointment 2 months ago.

He was just taking it all in and waiting until he had something to say, now I can't get him to be quiet for 10seconds.

Sorry should have added, as long as you're sure her hearing is fine, she is following simple requests, pointing and making attempts to communicate, the speech will follow.

Wouldn't worry a bit about it, personally.
As long ad she's comprehending ok theres nothing there to suggest the vocalisation won't come.
Just turning two seems to be when it all kicks off among the children I know.

Thank you all so much, you've made me feel so much calmer. It can be very hard not to compare and then do injudicious googling - am grateful for such measured advice, especially from SALTs and paediatricians. floozietoozie loving the singing of Twinkle - dd sings baa baa black sheep to baa all the way through (can be slightly wearing on long car journeys).

Another late talker here. DS2 is 20 months and says a handful of words.

DS1 was saying loads by this age, its hard not to compare.

IME your hv will tell you to wait and see til she is 2.

its soooo hard not to compare, especially if you a) have friends with kids the same age or b)go to toddler groups and seemingly every 12m old and upwards is asking for something that makes sense in a clear voice and an actual sentence! I clearly remember meeting in a park with the hubby of a couple we had met via NCT groups but hadnt seen for a few months, his DS was 18m same as mine but was saying "I want blah blah for dinner and blah to drink" whilst I gaped he said "what can yours say?" I had to say "not much" as he said only Di and Da for everything..... it didnt help that he said "oh no, really?!? waht will you do!" silly thoughtless sod. but there are, in reality, loads of 'late talkers', and I had to remind myself of that when my 18m old had no words, then by 22m he only had daddy, up, juice, bye bye... so frustrating. he's 2 and a half now and talks all day long... he is eating his breakfast right now and pointing at me saying mummy blue dress and big boots (is what I'm wearing!), pointing at the garden and telling me whats going on out there, how he will cram his toast inbetween all the words I don't know! and he sings a tons of songs with the words right, his pronounciation is coming along well and I've stopped counting all his words obssessively now :) I bought the Sookie and Finn DVDs (amazon) at about 22m and they have helped enormously, he copies them like its a game (they're cartoons done in a very simple style by speech therapists) and has learnt every single scenario and word on them, it helped his confidence greatly, might be worth a try for you??.

and yes, I was reading to him from birth and I tell him everything that is going on and talk to him and with him all the time, its just the way some kids develop, mine was physical before chatty, its not anyones fault or even a problem. I found out recently that my DP didnt talk till he was nearly 3, so its probably genetic too! and he's a writer and very very articulate and garrulous so it didnt affect him. don't worry too much, all kids are made different :)