Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

When did your child start talking?

12 replies

elena2 · 04/02/2004 18:03

Okay, Ds1 is 2 next month and doesn't say a single 'proper' word.
Now up until now I've just thought, it'll come when he's ready, but the HV said she would be doing his 18mth-2yr assessment when he's 2, and I'm starting to get a bit paranoid that she'll say he's really behind and needs ST.

He does communicate (constantly!) by pointing, taking your hand and leading you to stuff, and when he wants something he leads you to it, points at it and goes "Ya-yaah, ya-yaah", or
"A-ah, a-ah". And he does start to say "La laa" when Teletubbies comes on.
He makes noises for animals such as click-click for horse, growly noise for dog, "aaah" (high, singy noise) for cat.
And he says "mama" ocassionally unprompted but not usually in right context, or he'll say it when we ask him to.

Lots of friends and relatives have been saying for the last few months "Is he not talking yet?", and I can feel the seed of doubt starting to blossom!

I've been reading a thread today that's probably made me feel worse as it was all about what everyone's dd/ds is saying, and they all seemed so much further on than ds.

Has anyone else's ds/dd started talking as late as this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

alibubbles · 04/02/2004 18:14

The little girl I look after is 23 months and is not saying anything either. Mows is all she says when she sees the cat! She understands everything and can follow instructions well. I had a 16month here today as a visitor and she talked all the time and echoed everything she heard.

Don't worry too much, a boy I looked after who was 2.4 months didn't say anything and then at 2.6 months was talking in complete sentances and very articulate. He'll come out wwith it when he is ready

Angeliz · 04/02/2004 18:18

elena2, my dd started early and has never shut up since My nephew however started talking properly at around 2. He never said anything much before that and now he's 2.9 and geting on great, whole sentences and very clear!
All the best ++

HiddenSpirit · 04/02/2004 19:09

elena, it could have been me posting what you just said, but our DS2 was 2 in December.

He has 3 words, although 2 of them are similar, ta-ta (bye), ta (thank you) & daddy (when I say mummy to him, he says daddy!!!). Like your DS1, he will take my hand and lead me where he wants me to go (usually kitchen for a drink or biscuit!) and will push my hand up towards the cupboard/fridge. I, like you, am worried and had phoned my HV to come talk to us about it. We set a date for her to come round, but that day came and went with no sign of her and no phone call ect

I'm going to give her another call tomorrow, as I am still worried because DS1 was a bit behind in his speech (fine with speech now) & DD (who's 4) has only now started to say words (possibly her real mothers fault, but not 100% sure).

Like the others said though, in your case I wouldn't worry about it too much as he is making himself understood and he does say sounds. Our DS2 does babble lots of conversations, so I'm hoping he won't be far off talking now

tillymint · 04/02/2004 19:28

Apparantly Einstein was 4 before he spoke. My friend is a Doctor and he was over 4 before he uttered anything decipherable! Hope this helps.

Original poster

elena2 · 04/02/2004 19:48

Forgot to mention, he does understand EVERYTHING you say, and can follow quite long-winded instructions. And his hearing is spot-on, he doesn't miss a thing (ears like a sh*thouse rat, his Grandad is fond of saying when he is out of earshot!)

OP posts:

Jimjams · 04/02/2004 23:11

Hey have you been reading my threads (pointing?). if he's pointing, I don;t think you need to worry yet. if he;s playing properly you definitely don';t need to worry yet.

DS2 has just turned 2. May have a speech problem, but definitely doesn't have a communication disorder. I've referred him to SALT, but to be honest he's much clearer now than he was even 2 weeks ago so he may well not need it. If you are worried refer on now and you can always cancel. SALTS may not be keen to accept a referral yet- they only toom ds2's because his brother is "well known to the SALT service" (as one of his reports says).

bells2 · 05/02/2004 10:35

elena2, as everyone else has said, it sounds as though you don't have anything to worry about but personally, I have found speech therapy for my 2 1/4 yr old dd a great success. She had only one word at 2 (dog) but more worryingly could only make an extremely limited range of sounds ( couldn't say b, p or t for example). I found SALT invaluable in terms of learning how to encourage her to make sounds and she is now making great progress. Most importantly, she is less frustrated and generally happier. Our local authority has a terrific SALT team and run lots of ancillary services such as playgroups and music groups for children with a speech delay.

coppertop · 05/02/2004 10:46

Elena - The important thing is that he is trying to communicate in other ways. Even if the HV does suggest a referral to a SALT, there will be a bit of a wait before anything happens. Ds1 was referred just after his 2nd birthday (unlike your ds1 he didn't try to communicate at all). He received an appointment for an assessment 6 months later. He was then put on a waiting list for speech therapy, and had his first session just after his 3rd birthday. I suppose they hope that by that time most of the children on the waiting list will have caught up anyway.

littlerach · 05/02/2004 10:46

Like Bells2, DD had a limited range of sounds, we saw a HV, she agreed that there was a "problem", we were referred to a SALT. It takes a while for a referral, so often best to get one. Also, we were never offered a 2 yr check, I expressed concerns about DD's speech and was told not to worry. It was only when I went back at 2.7 that they did a home visit.
I guess what I'm saying is don't worry, as they do catch up, but if you are offered a referal, take it as by the time you get the appt your DS may have improved, but it will put your mind at rest.
HTH.xx

emmatmg · 05/02/2004 10:51

Not a great deal of time to post now but our DS2 'failed' his speech part of the 2 yr check and the HV put him as to be observed.

Well within a few months his language had come on so well you'd never know she(HV) was talking about the same child. Can't bloody shut him up now and he's only 2.7 yrs.

bloss · 05/02/2004 11:13

Message withdrawn

shrub · 05/02/2004 11:47

ELANA2 my ds1 started really talking about 2 and a half, he is now nearly 4 and is fine. i stopped going to hv for developmental checks because they made me paranoid. i didn't play the 'competitive mum' thing either. you must not let this stop you enjoying and celebrating your ds's other achievements - yes there is a place for these checks and stats but there are limitations to them. re: tv and 'teletubbies' - he will try and emulate speech which is presented to him so i would avoid patronising children's programming. just talk to him, have converstations on what you see on your walks, the toy he is playing with, the food he is eating, talk in the present as you are experiencing it, this will then give him context and a real meaning to the words. i remember when i started to take my ds1 to 'musikgarten' (montessori music and singing group) which is when he really started talking and it made learning words fun for him. just remember Einstein didn't utter his first word until he was 3!

Flip