17 Months and still not talking - is that normal? [worried]

[Quootiepie]

DS is babbling still, dadadada sometimes mamama, bababa, doggie, duckie (sort of!) and WOW but nothing else. Is there anything I can do to help it develop? I point at things he points to and say their names really slow and clearly, read to him and what he points to I name or say the colour or say a little description (eg. That's a big yellow sunflower) but he's more intrested in getting back onto the floor and running around and kicking the football He is starting to say something that sounds like 'Gooooooal!' but that's been sort of it for new sounds etc. in a while - is this normal? What can I do?
Thanks x

Hugely normal, Quootiepie. My ds didn't start until 18 months (making single syllable words), but by 22 months he was talking for England.

He didn't pick up colours, particularly, until he was nearly two.

Errrr, same with mine really. He says a whole load of words which only I can interpret, I thought it was pretty normal? [worries]

O. I am worried I am holding him back someway.

sounds normal, boys are maore active than girls and as such in my experience they talk later.

By 2yo there is little difference but the 2.

I worried so much when my son was 16 months and hardly saying anything. He is still behind compared to what his older brother could say at the same age but he is saying so much more now, understands absolutely everything and even knows one colour. (green) Sounds pretty okay to me.

I think we were at kind of this stage at this age too - then it suddenly kicked off (lol at GOAL!) and he started repeating things. I don't think you should worry about it or think you should have been doing something to encourage it more; speech seems very individual. Sounds like you are doing exactly what anyone wld recommend; the only thing I would say from my limited reading is make sure he has a lot of time hearing you speak with no background noise at all (radio etc)

Quootiepie, why do you say that?

You are providing him with the tools to speak when he decides to, keep reading and chatting to him, play nursery rhymes cds and do sing a longs.

Each child is different.

DS1 didn't have any recognisable words at all until she was about 20 months old. In fact she used to grunt a lot with her lips together- I kept saying 'Open your mouth'! To be honest I was getting a bit worried.

Then she started and by 2 years old she was speaking in sentences. Now she is nearly 4 and when she is around everyone else struggles to get a word in.

I think she was just waiting till she could do it 'properly'!

Sounds normal. In fact he sounds like he's foing well. He's babbl;ing, so as far as he's concerned he is talking.

All you can do is talk to him, read, sing etc and just wait.

He's too busy scoring goals to stop and chat anyway, that'll come when he's mastered the art of footie!

My ds is 18mths and just says the odd word, mostly no , I really wouldn't worry about him - sounds like he is doing fine if he can say mama, dada and doggy anyway.