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19.5 months - no words at all - not even mama

3 replies

Ringatingg · 28/01/2026 11:48

19.5 months - no words at all - not even mama

Hi all,

Just come back from HV assessment and very worried about my son. He’s not ‘bad’
Enough to be referred for speech therapy as he signs and communicates through gestures and pointing but he is not saying or attempting a single word.

He seems so with it in every other way but doesn’t not want to even to try to
Make an animal noise yet will happily do the signs.

It’s great he has signs and that he can communicate in his own way but I do worry as each month goes by and still no words that it’ll be so hard to ever catch up and therefore affect him socially and emotionally.

I’m also worried there may be another condition like axpraxia or selective mutism…. But it’s so hard to tell at this early age.

Anyone else have a child who simply didn’t say any words at all at this age.
He also can be very shy in front of other people, likes to take his time with stuff, can be sensitive to loud, sudden sounds such a laughing and screams a high pitched shriek if this happens.

When we go to playgroups and classes he enjoys interacting with other kids in his own way and focusses well on any of the activities, copying any of the physical actions etc… he also starting to enjoy imaginary play

OP posts:
GoldenRosebee · 28/01/2026 19:33

well, it might be glue ear - if waiting list for assessment is long, go private.

1995SENNDMUM · 29/01/2026 08:58

Ringatingg · 28/01/2026 11:48

19.5 months - no words at all - not even mama

Hi all,

Just come back from HV assessment and very worried about my son. He’s not ‘bad’
Enough to be referred for speech therapy as he signs and communicates through gestures and pointing but he is not saying or attempting a single word.

He seems so with it in every other way but doesn’t not want to even to try to
Make an animal noise yet will happily do the signs.

It’s great he has signs and that he can communicate in his own way but I do worry as each month goes by and still no words that it’ll be so hard to ever catch up and therefore affect him socially and emotionally.

I’m also worried there may be another condition like axpraxia or selective mutism…. But it’s so hard to tell at this early age.

Anyone else have a child who simply didn’t say any words at all at this age.
He also can be very shy in front of other people, likes to take his time with stuff, can be sensitive to loud, sudden sounds such a laughing and screams a high pitched shriek if this happens.

When we go to playgroups and classes he enjoys interacting with other kids in his own way and focusses well on any of the activities, copying any of the physical actions etc… he also starting to enjoy imaginary play

See if your GP will do a hearing test referral and call your local NHS speech therapy department and ask what their referral criteria are at that age or if it's more likely 2 years old they accept children what the criteria are then.

Took me 5 calls to the health visitors at that age to get a referral finally at 23 months (safe to say I never bothered with them again after they referred him), but honestly NHS speech therapy is all about teaching you what to do so you can definitely learn things yourself now.
This charity will give you free advice as a starting point
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/help-for-families/ages-and-stages/18-24-months/

Devilsmommy · 09/02/2026 01:51

You definitely need to get his ears checked. They'll want to rule out any hearing issues before attempting SLT. My now 3.5 year old was exactly the same at that age. Will now attempt a few words but he's on the pathway for assessment now because of other things. Hopefully for your little one it's something that can be simple to sort

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