16 month old not talking

[maxybrown]

Up until now it hasn't really worried me, so I guess i am just looking for some reassurance. I have worked with children for 15 years but a long time since i worked with one so little and so it's hard to remember!

He's almost 16 months, very with it, can follow nearly any instruction you give him, loves looking at books, singing, playing alone AND with you, walked at 10 months so can now charge around (!) babbles constantly, points at things makes noises of wonder etc etc etc.

Like I said, I have a lot of expereience with children and so know all the "right" things I should do......but still he doesn't talk.

He makes vague imitations of "hello" on the phone, but vague, can "say" bob the builder can we fix it bob the builder yes we can - but not in words in noises, yet each word the tone is perfect, and he has been able to do this for months!

Any advice would be appreciated, his hearing is spot on and he is interested in everything, he is also extremely independant already!! Help!

My dd didnt speak at this age either just took it all in silently. Then at about 26 months it all came together now cant shut her up! I really wouldnt worry (though I know I did!) I think some children wont do anything until they can do it properly (ie dd). Even now if she can't say a word she won't even attempt until she is confident she can get it right. Maybe this type of personality takes abit longer to speak as they dont want to dive in immediately iyswim.

He sounds like he is much more developed than Tom was at that age. Tom is 2.9 and STILL not talking!

My advice is to keep doing what you are doing, talk to him etc, and see how he is in a few months time. He'll probably just start talking.

Thanks for that. that is exactly what i had been thinking. When I say a word to him and ask him if he can say it, he smiles cheekily and gets stuck in to something else, sometimes laughs,little monkey.

I haven't been worried as he is obviously ok in everything else but well......I guess you know!!

My friend's daughter (who is nearly 16) didn't speak a single word unitl she was 18 months and then she said it was whole sentences!!

He sounds like he'd doing well - at this age the non-verbal communication and understanding are the important thing. I wouldn't start worrying unless he's still got no words at 24 months. Might be worth you doing a bit of baby signing with him to fill the gap before he starts speaking.

Oh right, thanks for that BexieID

I hate myself for even asking as feel stupid!! I hate it when you read all these things about what they should be doing and when, normally I don't bat an eyelid.

It's so frustrating trying to communicate with him as sometimes he seems much older than he is and we all have to remind our selves that he's still quite little!

dd was very quick to talk and ds never spoke much until closer to the age of 2. It is even worse when you have 2 to compare and the first did everything early!! I didnt worry much as ds understood everything and could follow simple instructions. Give it time - when I mentioned lack of speech to my hv just before ds turned 2 (his 2 year check was a chat with me for 2 minutes on the phone!!) she said to give it 6 months and see how he was then. He is 2.3 years and although his speech is not as clear as dd's, it has improved greatly from what it was before.

Everyone is different. Tom is having his tonsils/adenoids out on the 28th, so hopefully he'll be talking soon! We think hes just lazy and chooses not to talk, because he knows exactly what you're telling him!

When d nephew had speech therapy his mum was told that 20 words by the age of 2 is considered "average" so no words at all til 2 ish is fine.

sounds normal, especially if his understanding is so good

i've got a great book written by a speech and language therapist called baby talk about how to encourage talking -by sally ward i think.
one thing it does say is not to test them - ie can you say x, as they know it is a test rather than a form of proper communication. so just keep talking to him, naming stuff etc. anyway its good book.

ds is just 16 months and has about 15 words BUT i'm not sure if other people could pick them out as he doesn't pronounce them very well -eg dot for dropped etc. so i wonder if your ds is actually saying words that just aren't very clear yet.

Dd didn't really talk until she was 2. I had reached the point of talking to a friend who is a S&L therapist about it. She said that as long as dd could understand what I was saying, was babbling & pointing etc. then I shouldn't worry.

By the time she was about 2 yrs and 3 months, dd was talking in full sentences. She just never really did the single word thing.

16 months is still very little - don't worry!

Thanks for all your advice evryone. i feel much better now. I'll look that book up to luvaduck, thanks I don't think he is actually saying anything though!! It is more very correctly pitched sounds - like hello when he holds the phone and the cats name. It is an imitation of my pitch!!! lol

Thanks again to you all though