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Original poster

Toddler language development question

30 replies

crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 07:09

Ds is about 18mo and he's worrying me a little bit.

I don't know if he is just totally normal but he seems only to use about 3 words most of the time - he has about 8 in total, maybe 10 - but he will spend 20 minutes just repeating two words, 'hello' and 'bye bye' with accompanying waving.

It gets a bit repetetive. He says these two words all the time. Sometimes interspersed with 'No' and shaking his head.

He will also say 'yes' or 'kyou' (thankyou) at times and he can say a few more words - bang/bo (as in peep bo)
mama

er - that's about it.
Is this usual?

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Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 07:10

i should add the 8-10 have been fleeting things we 'thought' he said, once or twice. He doesn't regularly use them, and I can't een remember what they were! It is usually Grandma who is convinced he has said something. You know how it is...

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Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 07:11

DP says he ddn't talk at all till he was about 3 and a half.

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Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 07:19

At risk of writing the entire thread myself

I should mention that he does not point either. He has pointed once, a few months ago, that was it. Never again. Is this combined with the language thing a bit of a red flag?

TIA

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Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 09:57

.

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fortyplus · 14/12/2008 10:06

I think you need a different thread title!

The freakiest brainy child I know - now a teenager - hardly said a word till he was two. I haven't a clue about the link with pointing, sorry.

Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 10:07

Oh is itr a bit dull

Thanks Fortyplus.
I shan't panic just yet then..

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sharkyandgeorge · 14/12/2008 10:09

Sounds ok to me, he speaks more than DD1 did at that age.

fortyplus · 14/12/2008 10:10

How about - 'Please tell me if I should worry - my 18mo has hardly said a word?'

They'll flock to it!

Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 10:13

Or 'toddler in silent protest shock horror exclusive'
Thanks sharky, that's encouraging.

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fortyplus · 14/12/2008 10:14

lol!

SnowOfHands · 14/12/2008 10:15

If you search the archives you'll find many, many threads with parents worrying about pointing and speech at around 18 months. The general consensus is that there's a huge range that's normal.

My dd is 19 months old and when I see her with other children her age, it's obvious that 'normal' is a relative term.

Indith · 14/12/2008 10:21

Think you have a totally normal child there My 23 month old has just the past few weeks started saying more than hello, bye and yes

DadOnAHotTinRoof · 14/12/2008 10:22

Our DD is 15 months now and hasn't yet said her first word... so we know where you're coming from.

I'm refusing to stress about it, but it's hard when mothers proudly tell you how their child of the same age is "picking up a couple of words a day"!

SnowOfHands · 14/12/2008 10:23

One here

another

Not pointing at 18 months

speech again

Just a few, but shows others with similar concerns and a variety of responses.

SnowOfHands · 14/12/2008 10:24

Indith!

How goes it?

Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 10:35

Thnaks very much all

have been reading that one SOH (the purple link)
about pointing

It seems to be full of people saying 'mine didn't point at 18mo, everyone said I was being daft, he is autistic'

I might ask HV to look at him again. My instinct tells me he is behind
I have done M-chat this morning and he 'failed' on about 7 points, one or two critical.

Just worth keeping an eye maybe.

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Original poster
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 10:36

though I am worried about his hearing now after he had measles/ear infection at 10mo.

He does shout a lot.

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PavlovtheRedNosedReindeer · 14/12/2008 10:37

My nephew is 2.3 and he says 'mama' 'dada' and 'no' and thats it. He is developing well in every other area and there are no concerns. I think the developmental range at this age is huge, from babies talking in full sentences before they are 18 months to not talking at all until past 2.

TotalChaos · 14/12/2008 10:48

I would see HV and ask for a hearing test and mention the M-Chat test. You would expect pointing by 18 months - but it's not inevitably a sign of a massive problem, just something worth keeping an eye on.

Chaotica · 14/12/2008 10:54

Worth keeping an eye out perhaps. But before 2 I don't think it is even slightly deemed to be a problem.

Several children I know didn't talk before 2 (I didn't either); only one is autistic (and he said nothing, not even babbling). While DD talked quite young (at 13m-ish) but still doesn't really get pointing at 2.7 (there's something faintly ridiculous about saying to an articulate toddler "just look where my finger is pointing, imagine you're standing where I am and looking over there... etc etc ). So I hope you're worrying about nothing.

reindeercantdancethetango · 14/12/2008 11:16

Qualified nanny here - do not worry AT ALL totally fine. Have had children who chatter away at that age, some who say nothing and one just now with a similar amount of words to your lo.

Indith · 14/12/2008 14:27

Hey SOH Still pg and working my way through a packet of bourbons as dh has taken the screaming bundle of virus and snot out for a walk. Happy days How're you?

StarlightWonderStarlightBright · 14/12/2008 14:42

Nothing to worry about. My DS late late late. Been through lots of assessments and turns out he's just very bright with selective hearing and response

fullofxmascheer · 17/12/2008 22:04

starlight - I remember reading a thread of where you were worried about your DS, that's great news

I was worried about my DD in that regard (then again I'm always worrying about something ) and my mum said that I barely spoke til I was 2 and saw a speech therapist. Now you can't shut me up!

FoxtrotMikiLima · 11/04/2011 14:11

I know where you're coming from. Ds is 20 months and although he definitely understands a huge amount, he says very little, not even mummy or daddy. He says 'wow', 'bye bye', 'uh oh' and 'yeah!' but decides only to make animal noises rather than name animals so dog is 'oof oof', duck is 'wack wack' etc. That's pretty much it!

Someone told me that often kids only concentrate on one area of development at a time, so if they're active, then walking/running/other types of physical development take precedence.