So ds is now 18 months which is the point at which I told myself I might start to get concerned about his lanuage

[snickersnack]

I've reassured myself until now with the fact that he seems to understand most of what we say to him (and told myself that the other times he just doesn't want to hear) and that he interacts very well socially - plays with other children, shares, joins in games etc. BUT he still doesn't really talk - his vocabulary is limited to "dop" ("stop" - only when playing Musical Statues with his sister), "poon" for "spoon" occasionally, "dox" for "socks" and "book".

He says "da" and "der" a lot and very emphatically. He thinks he's talking. And he sings to himself fairly tunefully. But he doesn't say "mama" or make any words/sounds that begin with sounds other than "ba" or "da".

Is it worth, do you think, getting his hearing checked? He had measles a few months ago and was quite poorly - am wondering if perhaps there might be a problem there. Has never really occurred to me before now. I don't want the doctor to laugh in my face and tell me dox/poon/dop/book is a perfectly adequate vocabulary for an 18 month old and to stop wasting her time.

Mine does the same as yours "Bah" for bath, "No", "bye bye" "noh" for nose. Wouldn't worry for a bit, unless you have serious concerns about his hearing.

This honestly sounds fine to me for 18 months. Dd hardly spoke at 21 months - just animal noises and a few made up words. I spoke to a friend who is a speech and language therapist. She said that as long as dd was obviously able to understand what was being said to her, able to follow simple instructions or requests (where's your nose? etc). and was pointing at things that she wanted, then I really shouldn't worry.

She was absolutely right - at just over 2yrs old, dd went from the few single words she knew, to speaking whole sentences in about a month.

I was told not to keep asking her questions or asking her to name things, but to name them for her, and to comment on what she was doing as she played - eg. "you're picking up the red car". "Oh, you're pushing the red car down the slope".

ds1 hardly said anything at 2. then at about 2.5 there was no stopping him!
i wouldn't worry ytet

My ds didn't say anything other than mama and dada until he was 19 1/2 months. He is now 23 months, has hundreds of words and is just beginning to put them together.

I really wouldn't worry at all.

sounds normal

Totally normal. We had only four or five words at 18 months, and there's a big language leap in the last half of the second year so really, there's nothing to worry about yet.

Sounds totally fine

DS is 19 months and has just started saying Mama Daddy door and bye consistently
Some friends of our have 2 DCs - they say they didn't really say anything until they were about 2

My DS is just over 3 and although he talks a lot and says very long sentences most of his words still start with 'd' or 'b' ! He still says dox instead of socks. I think thats fine for 18 months

DS1 said very little until he was 2, when DS2 arived, funnily enough .
He just couldn't be bothered I think, I remember being ecstatic when he was 21mths and he said "pooh" for the Winnie the Pooh decoration we had on our Christmas tree.

Please don't worry, DS1 is now 4 3/4 yrs and never shust up! He is doing well at school and there are no problems in terms of his intelligence/development, he does share the vey male trait of selective hearing though!

Thanks everyone - my instincts tell me not to worry, he's such a very happy little thing and very communicative in a non-verbal way. Think it goes hand in hand with an extremely talkative older sister...

He says more than either of mine did at 18mo.
ds2 in particular didn't say anything at 2. At 2y7m he has a handful of words but had only put 2 woulds together 3 times. At 2ym he was talking in sentances.

If you or anyone close to him is concerned then see someone, do not rely on people on the internet telling you - well mine was like that and he is fine.

But it doesn't sound like you are worried - he can hear you, he responds to what you say etc.

Mine still (at 2y10m) says "oh tay" (for ok) and lots lots more. Pronunciation will come, I wouldn't be worrying about that at 18m.

DS2 was exactly like this. then he started nursery at 2 and his language went whoosh! DS1 was very very talkative so I wonder if it was because he (DS2) was put in a situation where he had to communicate better.

It's always worth getting your DSs hearing checked if you have any concerns about it though as it's better sorted sooner rather than later.

ds2 who is 21mth says
'yes' 'look' 'bye' 'ere ye go' 'mama' (to mummy/daddy/grandma), but little else. he babbles a lot and sings a lot. but thats it...he does seem to understand everything i say to him though and responds appropriately

until ds2 was nearly 3 he said nothin just pointed and grunted. Was very worried.
Then one day he pointed at my necklace and said' that necklace is horrible'. he hasn't shut up sincce!