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Original poster

Talking development

29 replies

dreamteamgirl · 21/03/2006 22:35

Hi all
I am sure I am worrying about nothing, but was wondering about DS's speach lately. He is 13 months and largely not communicating.

He can say mumma, dadda and hiya -oh and DA of course, but they are all just random words. Mumma and dadda are to the cats or teddies as much as us, and virtually never used to the right parent. Hiya he uses in his car seat, and waves, but doesnt say it on arrival or anything.... Da is shouted at anything he wants.

Also, he doesnt seem to understand anything we say. The words food, drink, milk etc may as well be Greek to him.

He was an early mover, walking just before 11 months, and moving was his primary consideration, so I wasnt overly worried -I just figured he was focussing all efforts on that. 2 months on he is running, and moving brilliantly and has even had an outside walk, but the speach and understandng doesnt seem to be improving any.

My freinds DD ( I KNOW, I KNOW, dont compare LOL) understands things like "take the cup to daddy" or "would you like milk" and has about 10 words, yet Sam stays silent Sam....

Anyone else's LO the same, or does anyone have any great tips to help him improve on this?
Many thanks

OP posts:
Piffle · 21/03/2006 22:41

my dd could say 3 things at 27 mths mama dada yaya (for water)
today ar 3yr 4 mths she
said mummy I want toast please, not marmite, not peanut butter I want jam.
DD walked at 26 mths I amnow told after hr bieng non verbal at 27 mths she is now above average in amny verbal comms.
13 mths is very early to be worrying - esp if all other development is going well
Sentences at under 2 is EXCELLENT be it 24 mths or 12 mths.
Hang on in there

starlover · 21/03/2006 22:42

my ds doesn't say much. mama and dada (though not necessarily in context) and gack (quack) which applies to any bird/duck/chicken etc!

so verbally i don't think you have anything to worry about!

Original poster
dreamteamgirl · 21/03/2006 22:47

LMAO Piffle. She knows her mind doesnt she? Thats brilliant.

Starlover - how old is your DD?

OP posts:
starlover · 21/03/2006 22:49

ds is also 13 months! same as yours, forgot to put that in my first message.

Original poster
dreamteamgirl · 21/03/2006 22:51

Ahh so they are very much the same!!

Lazy boys!!
Can I ask does he seem to understand much?

OP posts:
PiccadillyCircus · 21/03/2006 22:52

DS didn't say anything comprehensible at 13 months and didn't seem to understand anything. He started talking at about 18 months and now at 26 months never stops talking.

I'd say 13 months is fairly early to be worrying (but it never halps when another child is doing something, does it?)

Piffle · 21/03/2006 22:54

seriously dd has a genetic condition which causes speech delay - she was classed as non verbal 6 mths ago, perhaps that was the incentive
Now as the rueing of it goes
You cannot shut her up [grin}
And I adore every minute of it

starlover · 21/03/2006 22:55

yes and no to the understanding!

i will say to him "where are your shoes?" and i am pretty sure he knows what i mean, he will sometimes look at them... but he won't actually go and get them. he'll just stare at me.

but he did surprise me today when i said "have you finished your raisins?" and he looked all around and then went and found the empty pack!

I think they understand a lot more than they necessarily let on!

Original poster
dreamteamgirl · 21/03/2006 22:57

I think thats it PC - yous ee others doing things and think Hmmmmm

Then I get on net and look at things like these \link{http://www.babycentre.co.uk/general/6477.html\ 7-12 months} and this \link{http://www.babycentre.co.uk/general/6474.html\ 13-18 months} and see he "should" have been identifying us as Mumma and Dadda at 11 months... LOL
why are we never satisfied unless we are worrying??

OP posts:
Original poster
dreamteamgirl · 21/03/2006 22:59

That must make you sooooooooooo damn proud then Piffle. I just loved her preciseness "not peanut butter, not marmite" etc. Too cute for words

OP posts:
starlover · 21/03/2006 22:59

ahh yes but when you look at those charts there will also be things that your ds has done earlier!

my ds was also an early walker and has always been very active. yet, he doesn't say much and hardly has any teeth! lol

they all do things differently... but yes.. you do see others of the same age doing things and think "oh my god, he's not doing THAT"

PiccadillyCircus · 21/03/2006 23:00

DS didn't walk until 15 months either, so I did spend time worrying he would never do anything (although he crawled very very fast).

He now runs everywhere ("My going fast" he says Smile)

Sparklemagic · 21/03/2006 23:00

dream, can he point to things? Like in a book, if you said "Where's the dog" or "Where's the boy?" or recognise a favourite cup or toy?

I'm sure you have nothing to worry about BTW, 13 months is very young and I think it's very usual to not have many words at all at this age. My Ds said his first word at 10 months and had about four words right up till about 14 months when he started to say one or two more...so you never know it may be one week very soon that DS surprises you!

As you say, never compare! Unless you have real worries about him and his development just accept everything he does as normal - which it is!

Piffle · 21/03/2006 23:02

Some kids just have their own agenda and time scales for things. :)

Sparklemagic · 21/03/2006 23:11

very true piffle. A friend told me her DS was a silent baby, not even the babbling and general noises - until he spoke in a complete, grammatically correct sentence at about 16 months! Spoooooky.... made her jump I can tell you!

Piffle · 21/03/2006 23:13

The same as when dd walked, she went from cruising (for a long 15 mths ) to walking and she cold bend pick things up, open dorrs, stop, turn, fall over/get up all of those things.
Far less hassle than when ds walked at 9 mths and thought he was the new wearer or Kryptonite

PeachyClair · 21/03/2006 23:42

He can say more than my 2.5 year old who is classed as doing fine by HV

Piffle · 21/03/2006 23:50

Peachy realy?At 2.5?

PeachyClair · 22/03/2006 12:15

Absolutely, not a cause for concern until 3 as afr as medics say- and that's with a family history of glue ear / other hearing problems / Aspergers.

AND he is a late July baby and starts pre-school September. He can say Mum (occasionally) dummy, no, and pamapa (postmas pat). Oh, and cat. I think that;s it, seriously.

I have of course riddent he NHS and he is on a waiting list- but that takes 9 months so wanted him seen as soon after 3 as poss.

lazycow · 22/03/2006 12:24

ds is 16 months and still can't communicate (other than a general pointing and crying) that he is hungy or thirsty - let alone anything else. He says dada a lot but I'm still not sure it means daddy yet and he pretty much never says mamma.

I know what you mean about worrying though, a friend yesterday said (in passing) how her 17 month old daughter could tell her (with a combination of words and signs) not only that she was hungry but what she wanted to eat. She wasn't boasting just expanding on a conversation we were having but when I heard it I couldn't help comparing.

Just to make you feel better ds is 16 months and was pulling himself up at 8 months but didn't take his first unaided steps until 15 months and now 1 month later still won't walk hardly at all. He shuffles along on his kness - it's a sight to behold in the playground Grin

Piffle · 22/03/2006 12:31

I'm still amazed he has not been referred yet though - it must be nice to be able to take your own time though - we got raced into everything, very stressful.
DD was referred to SLT at 19 mths, her genetic condition involves langauge delay too - they wanted to crack on early. Admittedly they've been totally useless thuogh Grin

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 22/03/2006 12:34

Jess is 20 months, her words are....

Daddy
Gone
Boo (as in Becky)
ta ta
buh bye
bob (as in builder or bobinogs)
ta
yes
no
juice (occasionally)

that is it! Im not worried just yet. At 13 months Jess was saying dadda and that was it.

Witchycat · 22/03/2006 12:42

Dreamteamgirl - my dd was one at New Year so a few weeks older than your ds - she doesn't say anything recognisable either - not even hiya or bye bye like other children the same age. She ocassionally says ma ma ma ma or da da da but it's pretty random.

I know she understands things because I can say things like 'push the door shut please' and she does it or 'can I have the shoe please?' and she runs off in the opposite direction grinning. BUT, she doesn't speak.

She also has very few consonants - she tends to make noises that start with a vowel sound - kind of oooh oooh and ah ah ah - IYSWIM.

It feels odd to me because her older brother had a dozen words by this stage but everyone says it's too early to worry so I'm trying not to.

I do sympathise though!

blueshoes · 22/03/2006 12:43

13 months is very young to be worrying about speech and comprehension. There's lots of time yet ... I find speechin to be one where there is such a huge difference is how soon our little ones pick it up. I am speaking from a standpoint of a mother of 2.5 year old whose speech is only just taking off as compared to her cousin who is just 3 months' older and is already having teenage-type stroppy conversations.

leogaela · 22/03/2006 13:34

dreamteamgirl - my ds is 13 months tomorrow and pretty much the same.

he does understand if I say to him 'give mummy a kiss', and kisses my :o, but other than that he looks at me confused when I talk to him. I have been trying to teach him to say banana and if he is hungry and I ask him if he would like banana he sometimes makes a coughing sound indicating that he does! He also walked early (first steps alone a couple of days after his 10 months b-day).

I would love to hear him say something real, but it hasn't occured to me to be worried about it.