how many

[onehotmama]

How many words could your dc's say at the age of 2? My ds has just turned 2 and says about 20 words. I've had lots of people telling me he should be saying far more and then they'll say 'so-and so's daughter/ son chats non stop all day', and they are making me think there might be a problem with ds as he isn't doing this yet. He's bright, sociable, understands most of whats said to him and can follow instructions, so until other people started telling me differently I wasn't concerned.
He is due for his 2 yr HV check at end of Feb. I wasn't going to mention anything to her about his speech but now think I should because of what others have said.
In his words he does say some 2 word things like 'oh dear' and 'all gone', as well as single words.

My DS was saying none words at 2, in fact he said his first word at 2 years 6 months. Some children, especially boys, tend to develop their speech a bit later, and I think that about 20 words for a two years old might be a little bit behind the milestones but nothing uncommon. I think that if I were you, I would mention it to HV and discuss if you would like an evaluation by a speech and language therapist. The waiting lists are very long in our area it took 16 weeks to see a SALT, and your boy might be OK by then! In our area, they don't start speech therapy before 3 years old (I managed to het him on a series of group therapy at 2.5 but I was being really pushy).

Good luck

By the way, people can be very cruel when it comes to speech for children. You will always have someone telling you well my girl spoke fluently bu the age of 6 months bla bla bla. Just nod politely or tell them to shut it, depending on yuour mood. My son could climb on the dining room table on his own by the age of 12 months old, so there.

Our 2.3 year old DS says about 20 words too (and they aren't pronounced right and only a handful are recognisable to others) and hasn't said 2 words joined up yet. I've just asked for a referral to see a SALT via the HV. Apparently he has to have a hearing test first and then see a SALT if hearing fine. Waiting list is 16 weeks, which will take him to over 2 and a half.

I'm certain there isn't a 'problem' per se, but just he doesn't yet see the benefit in talking when he communicates so well through other means! But I'm hoping at the least, the SALT can give us some practical advice on encouraging speech (I find I'm asking him questions, which I'm sure isn't the 'right' thing to be doing) and so I know I've done something.

Am sure 2 is very normal not to be saying much. TBH, I've read they don't really 'worry' until they hit 3. But you need to do what is right for you and my thought was I'd rather get rid of this niggling doubt than not do anything.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Thanks for the replies. I will talk to the HV about it. I now worry that I haven't done enough to stimulate him and that if he is not doing as well as he might be then it's down to me.
But, I also think I am way too soft and interpret his grunts and whinges too easily for him so stopping him feeling the need to talk!
I had no idea referral to SALT took so long as well.

How does he develope? Is he one of those who does things gradually or is he the type that can't do something one day then is an expert the next.
DS is the latter and two days before his 2nd birthday he woke up in the morning and it was if he had swallowed a dictionary overnight. He was spouting new words all day long.

I'm having the reverse issue! DD is 14mo and can say 40 words, including questions- but she is nowhere near walking. Not crawling, not pulling herself up, not standing, nothing. She can shuffle on her arse across the floor at an alarming speed, but this just draws attention from strangers pointing in fear at the 'freaky baby' (I quote verbatim).

Nobody cares that she can talk- she could recite the entire works of Shakespeare and people would smile sympathetically and say "She's not walking yet?" whilst pulling this face .

People feel entitled to comment on children's development because it makes them feel like a expert in the field. They are not. Nine times out of ten, they have even less of a clue than me.

He is definitely the child who overnight amazes us. With walking he did a few wobbly steps for weeks, then when he was 13 months old he got up walked the entire length of house, turned round and walked all the way back and there has been no stopping him since! So, maybe it will happen with the sppech? Let's hope.

Obviously meant to type speech. Oh dear, it's one of those days.

onehotmama - please don't worry it's anything you've done or haven't done. every child develops at their own pace. i keep having 'useful' friends and family (now even my dh!) saying things like 'just pretend you don't know what he means when you do, until he says it properly', but i don't want to dishearten him when his vocab is so small anyway. until a specialist advises me on that, i'll just continue to smile and nod to anyone who offers advice.

i totally understand how you feel though, i worry although i do talk to him all day, read all of the time etc. i found out dh didn't speak until he was 2.6 and i was taken to speech therapy when i was little too. maybe it's hereditary.

what's more important (from my limited internet googling!) is that they understand, interact, can communicate in other ways and can follow simple instructions.

i also think these things always take time (salts are in very low supply), so think it's worth getting in there early and cancelling if suddenly ds's language improves markedly.

good luck, am sure you lo will be talking before you know it

My son was only saying a few words at 2 and none strung together. The public Health nurse wanted to check him again at 2.6. He started nursery for a couple of mornings a week shortly after that and has come on in leaps and bounds. He'll be three in July and is now speaking in small sentences.

The nurse did say that once they demonstrate a good understanding of instructions and interact normally with you when you are talking to them that everything is normally fine.

He definitely was slow and even now may not be up to speed with some of his peers but the difference from 7 months ago has been amazing. I founf it helped enormously to ask him questions again and again about things he wanted or was trying to do.