Should I be worried?

[thekidsarealright]

My DS is very nearly 16 months, isn't walking and isn't talking. He communicates and babbles but doesn't say any words. He says MumMum and makes sounds for animals (clicks his tongue for a horse, makes a noise for a duck but not a quack, same with a dog) and points at everything. Is this ok? I read all about children the same age stringing words together and he's just not at all close. He point blank refuses to practice walking but will move cruise around constantly. He has a cousin seven weeks older and she is miles and miles ahead of him with her speech and has been walking for six months. He always seems so far behind. We read to him all the time and he's always with someone paying him loads of attention - just getting a bit worried.

My dd a month younger but the same! Yet people alwats comment onhow advanced she is! She is alert and very happy. I'm not worried!

Please don't worry. My DS didn't walk until he was 15 months and wasn't talking by the 2 year check up - I was asked whether I would like a referral which I did take up, but it was not forced upon me, giving me the impression that the HV wasn't overly concerned either. In our situation the speech and language therapists were not worth their money; they kept questioning his understanding of things whereas we and his nursery had no issues with his understanding at all - it was his actual speaking that we questioned.
He is now 4.5 yrs and although a touch behind his peers it is not noticeable and he talks non stop. Our nephew is 4 months older and it is not ideal having such a small age gap because similarities will always be drawn and one child will always be elevated above the other.
You are right to be concerned as he is your baby but please don't worry unnecessarily, all will be right in the end.

DS is 15 months and although he is walking he is barely talking. He says "Dad" and a couple of times has said " Mum Mum" but babbles away and makes lots of noise! He doesn't do any noises for the animals though.

He does say words - MumMum and animal noises count as words. Pointing and letting you know what he wants or doesn't is really positive, it shows he gets what communication is for, which is the most imprtant thing.

Reading is great, keep repeating what he says, keep it positive and fun. Good website here.

Ds cruised for ages before he walked, think the average is 15 months and 18 months is still considered normal so he has time. I'd speak to the hv if you don't feel he has progressed by then.

You will drive yourself nuts comparing to the cousin, they are different and one day she will have something that is worrying her parents that you take for granted in your ds - you just won't notice because it won't be on your worry radar!

My ds really started talking at closer to 2. Before that he had a few words and would put two words together via signing but rarely in speech. Then his speech exploded.

If he's cruising then he's on the way there to walking. I'd worry if he wasn't moving at all.

Do speak to your HV though to allay any fears.

Wouldn't worry at all about talking at that age. I think the advice is to talk to HV if not walking by 18m. But if he"s cruising now he'll probably walk soon so almost certainly nothing to worry about.

Thanks all, I really appreciate your responses. In my heart, I feel his main issue is laziness and overly keen grandparents (who are his main carers in the week) doing too much for him. I try not to compare to much to my niece, she lives in Oz and we only get to see her on Skype but she's there saying all these words and my little chap is just sat there waving down the camera! Bless him !

DD is 2.2

She does not say much AT ALL, can say daddy and bubbles but never mummy which makes me well up however my niece is a year younger and talking in sentences. I am worried and we are on list for SaLT but doesn't make the endless screaming and frustration at poor communication any easier.

I'd say he is doing ok with cruising and too young to worry about speech

One of my DC's didn't walk until 16.5 months and didn't speak until he was 3. At nearly 5, you wouldn't know, he scoots/walks everywhere and never shuts up. He did have speech therapy to help make his speech clearer and now it's really clear.

With him I put it down to being easy going and laid back, he didn't speak, but he's also never, ever had a tantrum, didn't bat an eyelid at the arrival of his younger brother, started school without any fuss/worry/anxiety; he's just too relaxed!