Can I just check with other owners of 18-month olds...

[frogs]

whether your child can do the following:

say more than 6 distinct words naming objects clearly enough to be understood by a stranger;
point to body parts in response to verbal instruction (ie. where's your nose?);
use a spoon competently to feed themselves;
spontaneously make animal noises in response to a picture in a book (eg. miaow at pic. of cat).

I only ask as dd2's development is a bit delayed, and I can't remember whether 18month olds can usually do these things.

Thanks!

sounds about right, though 'use a spoon competently' in our case is a matter of opinion...

1. Has over 20 words, but most are quite indistinct and this has only happened in the last month. nto sure if 6 would be understood by stranger

2. yes but a bit hit and miss - 'nose' is the only reliable one 3. yes but he is very greedy! 4. yes

ds2 is dec 2 birthday. I have to say a lot of the language development has really come on in the last few weeks, much to my relief!

well mines' 21 months now but csating my mind back all of 3 months I would answer

words - yes
body parts - yes
spoon - no
noises - yes

HTH

my ds is 19,ths. He can use cutlery well and can do the animal noises and body parts, it is only the past week he has started to talk in a semi understandable way although he does sound like a teletubbie when he talks so its not a clear word apart from yes and noooooooo..lol I wouldnt worry about it too much iykwim.

dd is 17 mnths and knows various body parts (nose, bum, tummy, hand) but damned if shell point to them if you ask her (shes a stubborn wee moo). She can say a few words but havent counted how many and no probably couldnt name 6 objects so a stranger could understand. She can miaow like a cat too (proper imitation rather than saying the word but then she has a thing about cats). Hasnt done other animals yet. She has stopped using her spoon as its too much like hard work so no Id say not competant with it tho is getting better slowly.

Hi,
My 16 month dd can do all of those, strugles a bit with the feeding herself with a spoon, shes very good at her animal noises.

Words to be understood by stranger - hmm, ish.
Body parts, some - gets ears/eyes muddled, OK on rest of face, head, legs, feet, toes...
Spoon - erk, messy and not much food on it by time it reaches mouth
Animal noises - maybe 10 animals

Looks like the answer is yes, then, to most of these.

Dd2 is an odd one, cos she's tiny as well -- looks more like an 11-month old than 18 months, and isn't walking yet either. My instinct is she's absolutely fine, but you know what hospital paeds are like. So a cheer for my GP who actually took the trouble to watch her playing for 15 minutes, pointed out how good her concentration was, and her balance, and her social skills, and reckoned she was as sure as she could be that dd2 was fine, just developing skills in an unusual sequence.

And there's clearly nothing wrong with her intelligence -- a few weeks ago she managed to push ds's Tripp Trapp chair against the worktop, climb up the footrest, seat and back, onto the worksurface, and get the lid off the biscuit tin. All in the space of the three minutes it took me to answer the phone.

I don't think there is much wrong there then frogs
Dd is 22 months now and doing all of these but she was only doing 2 and 3 at 18 months. And she only walked at 17 months.

OK currently 'own' (love the term ) my 2nd 18 month old boy.

Words - not by a stranger - but has about 6 or 7 words understandable by us, and people he see's occasionally

Body parts - can point to tummy, hair and toes (if he hasn't got his socks on - that completely foxes him) - not sure about the rest.

Spoon - hmm when he wants to can feed himself, VERY messy still - but generally still 'fork' fed by DH.

Animal noises - well he does a kind of 'ooo' sound when he sees a dog picture, but essentialy NO.

DS1 at 18 months, 3 words (ONLY understood by us), didn't have a CLUE about body parts, looked at spoons like they came from mars, and was no where NEAR making animal noises

just developing skills in an unusual sequence.

That sounds VERY familiar, DS1 while doing none of the 'normal' things at 18 months was however singing the 'tunes' of nursery ryhmes and hymns in tune....not words just to 'uh' - but in tune all the same

Sounds to melike your dd has got her priorities right frogs Why bother learning animal noises when you could be learning how to raid the buiscuit tin. Know which Id be learnig first.

Gwenick, thanks, that makes me feel better.

It doesn't help that dd1 had freakishly good verbal skills from an early age -- she was talking in complete sentences, with tenses and prepositions etc. well before her 2nd birthday. But now she's 10 and uses her verbal skills to treat the class teacher to her own special brand of withering sarcasm, to the extent that I keep being called into school for 'discussions'.

Hmmm, maybe there's something to be said for slower developers after all...

Frogs, my younger daughter will be two in a few weeks and she still doesn't speak frightfully clearly - I'm pretty sure she didn't do six words at 18 months. Not sure about animal noises (she does Lion Roars frequently, usually around bedtime). The other things she does do now, and I'm trying to recall when she really started doing them. She is very agile when food is involved and has been able for a good while to understand complicated instructions contingent on the word 'cake'. I was faintly worried for a while (partly because she too has a preturnaturally verbal older sister) but have chilled out about this, not least because her very experienced childminder has never flagged up any concerns whatsoever.

DD1 took forever with the physical stuff, as it happens.

ROFL at "complicated instructions contingent on the word 'cake'".

I suspect dd2 hasn't yet realised what language can do for her yet. Once she does, there'll be no stopping her. No doubt in a few years time I'll be begging her to please stop talking just for 30 seconds like I do with the others.

I have to say DP can be spotted repressing a shudder at the thought of three females talking non-stop in the Inferiority Complex.

ds doesn't speak much but blimey he's good at saying no...

he's got stuck on a few words like "its dat dere" and "no dat" and my personal fave "Raaaaaaar". Do kids forget words? he used to say tractor and digger and garden (ok variants thereof) but seems to have given up.

DD is 20 months.

Talking - yes: her favourite "set of words" (hesitate to call it a sentence) is "No, I do not want". What's always a particularly nice start to the day is hearing that coming through the baby monitor at about 5.30am - DH says she's just trying it out to ensure that it still works
Point to body parts - yes (some confusion between tummy and tongue - she's going to be a popular girl when she grows up)
spoon - could do, but whats the point when you've got fingers
animal noises - yes

With all of those, I would say they've really come on in the last 6-8 weeks, so I would really be guided by your GP. Think this is one of the ages where there is absolutely the widest skill set.

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actually I've just remember he's probably got closer to 8 or 9 words (most of which are unrecognisable to people who don't know him at all).

He reminded me when I went downstairs shouting NO at me

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words - yes
Body parts - yes
Spoon - yes
Anmal noises - No

But then I've never taught her them! However, she does know the colours 'red' and 'yellow'and she can say them - but that's because that's what I've taught her! I think half of this 'can they yet' malarky is down to what you teach your child to say etc (such as noises! Again if teach your child to use a spoon, then they can! - My DD would happily be fed by me, but I make her use a spoon, so she can. If I didn't make her, she couldn't iykwim!)

I'd say your DD sounds fine!

My 15th month old says 6 distinct stranger-understandable words, but they aren't all objects. Actually, only "bubble" is an object. She can point to body parts, as long as you mean anybody's body parts -- no matter whose nose you ask her to point to, she always points to the questioner's nose. She uses a spoon moderately competently. And she spontaneously makes animal noises but the noise in question is always "woof!". She likes dogs best.

Hey Frogs - only just seen this! Hope you're OK though. I would second what some of the others have already said and that you should trust your instincts with this one. I think your GP's approach has been excellent - spending time observing is definitely the right thing to do as realistically - how many children actually really 'perform' on cue in these kind of situations.

In terms of my very late walking dd - 20.5 months in the end...at 18 months, I would answer 'yes' to all your questions in terms of her non-gross motor skill development. It was just her physical development that has taken much longer....

frogs all kids r different as i said ds language skills r ok but his motor skills are extremely advanced but thats just him. Sometimes i wish he would talk more and stay still...lol