Normal speech at 18 months?

[TakingThePea]

Just wondering what your children's speech was/is like around 18 months?

DD is 19 months next week. Keep being told she should be saying 15 words and if not I should mention it to gp???

She says, clearly;

1. Mummy
2. No!
3. Bye bye
4. Baby
5. Shoes
6. Night night - but she says "na na"

She "meows" and "woofs" when she sees cats or dogs!!

She does not stop babbling!!! She goes on all day. But doesn't say much clearly, or in context. Only uses those 6 words above in context.

2 languages at home - me (English) and OH his home language.

She also says "boo!" for peek a boo but it sounds more like bow/boe.

Should I be concerned at this age? What's the average?!

When did was that age, she didn't say a word. Only started taking after turning two.

If you are worried could you have a chat with your HV?

Sounds totally normal to me.

DS2 didn't really say anything until he was 2 and DD is about 19m now and has a similar vocab to your LO.

Hi OP, I'm an Early Years SLT. Sounds like your little one is doing pretty well Don't worry about words being unclear at this stage, that's normal, just copy the word back clearly to her when she says it but don't expect her to copy you. Keep naming things for her, keep chatting to her and avoid asking her questions like 'what's this?' and 'what colour is that?' - say the answer for her instead.

I would expect her to be using approx 50 words by the time she's 2 - not all clear but clear enough so you and OH can understand them.

Do you have a Children's Centre near you? There should be free groups there that you can go to and you will get loads more info about how to support her talking at home. And don't worry about 2 languages - that's an advantage when it comes to later learning!

Agree that if you're worried talk to HV or GP.

But if it helps, my dd had about the same number of words at 18mo. She's 20mo now and we have lost count of the words she knows, shes learning at least one new one every day. Thermometer was today's new word (ok... "momometer" but I knew what she was aiming for!) it's just been an unbelievable couple of weeks for her talking. I've gone from being secretly quite worried to completely relaxed about it!!!

Thank you all!

I haven't been to the HV for ages, they were so rude and patronising last time I didn't go back!

Yep we've been going to the childrens centre since she was 4 weeks old, rhyme time every Monday!

I'm a (newly qualified!) Primary school teacher so we have books galore! Always reading and talking

Sometimes she copies things back, other times I say something and she stares at me like I have 3 heads!

Thank you for the replies, nice to hear other people's children are similar. Everybody else's are singing along to whole songs!

Wide range of speech ability at this age.

DS had 3 words at 18 months (dog, lorry and daddy- no mummy ). Two months later he was talking sentences. By age 3 comments were being made at nursery about his very large vocabulary.

Two of the DDs were talking sentences at 18 months. The third was virtually mute until 24 mo and hasn't stopped talking since.

Fear not! It ought to fall into place in the next few months, as long as she can hear properly.

I meant "talking in sentences" throughout that post- not sure why my brain and fingers decided to remove the "in".

duchesse she will not call OH daddy yet!

He stares at her "dadddyyy" or "baabaa" (his language) she just babbles back at him!

slightly smug

Sorry, meant to give birth order as well as might reassure you it's random:

DS was virtual non talker at 18 m
DD1 was talking in sentences at 18 m
DD2 complete non talker at 18 m
DD3 talking in sentences at 18 m