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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

ds barely any words 16 months - should i worry?

34 replies

littlebylittle · 01/03/2010 20:52

I should add that he signs twenty or so signs for the right things but just grunts or screams and points depending on how he's feeling. just so different to dd, I know she was a girl, but makes me feel that maybe I haven't been doing the right stuff with him. Sort of says mummy (mama rather than mummy but not much else.

OP posts:

CrystalQueen · 01/03/2010 20:55

My 16 month DD is just the same - she says 'mama' when she is excited to see me, and everything else is 'baba', or the useful 'eh'. She understands lots of what we say, so I am not worried.

lisbey · 01/03/2010 21:14

No you shouldn't worry, especially if he understands what you say.

DS1 had no words at all at his 2nd birthday, but was speaking in sentences 6 weeks later and in reception was described as "articulate"

It's been said before, but they all do things in their own time. DS2 had about 30 words at his first birthday, but not many more for several months.

Pannacotta · 01/03/2010 21:17

No.

gruber · 01/03/2010 21:18

Not at all. Completely normal in my humble experience. It'll come in time.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/03/2010 21:20

DS2 is 21 months now and has 2 understandable words.

I'll let you know what our hv says at his 18 month check tomorrow!

I'm not too concerned btw as he appears to understand everything that is said to him and can follow 2 or 3 command sentances.

Adair · 01/03/2010 21:20

Ha, could have written your post. Dd was one of those little girls who just went on and on at that age, would copy all sounds (saying 'ciao' on holiday ) and two words a few months later.

But ds is now 19mths nearly, he just says a few things - communicates a LOT and understands masses. I don't even get Mama (I get Dada. Which means Mama. But still.) Actually, he did say Mama a few times this morning - think he's getting it but then gets too excited and says Dada again . I wonder whether he says more than I think he does but I'm not so good at being a detective and working out what he says. I am quite surprised how much he knows/says/understands when I am on my own with him and dd is at nursery .

(The signs are amazing, aren't they? Have just taught ds one for 'more' as an experiment, he does it loads and now says 'mo, mo' too. Oh, and he does an eating sign too. Can you tell what his priorities are?)

wrinklycherub · 01/03/2010 21:21

My ds2 didn't start speaking until he was 23 months old - just made noises. I think he was just taking everything in, because once he started, he came on leaps and bounds.

IlanaK · 01/03/2010 21:30

My ds3 is 19 months and has only one word - hello. Everything else is pretty much the same sound - eh - said in varying levels of volume accompanied by pointing. However most days I feel like I have had complete conversations with him throughout the day. His communication skills are excellent - just not with words! He doesn't really try to make many different sounds either. I am not worried about him, but it can be a little frustrating sometimes (for me not him!) He spends most of his day looking at books and pointing to everything in them asking for us to name them. So I am hoping one day he is going to just start talking in complete sentences!

So - to answer your question - I think it is perfectly normal.

MajorMajor · 01/03/2010 21:39

Nothing to worry about at all

EssenceOfJack · 01/03/2010 21:45

Enjoy the silence!

DD1 was a vyer early talker but DD2 didn't start until she was nearly 2, and now she is learning new words all the time and neither of them ever shut up!

heth1980 · 02/03/2010 10:28

My DD didn't say anything but mama and dada until she was 21 months........nothing to worry about yet!

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 03/03/2010 21:16

Well at the 18 month check (ds2 is 21 months!), I got told to ring her if he doesn't have 20 words by the time he's 2.

He's got 2 atm, so 18 more to go in 3 months!

mamakoukla · 03/03/2010 21:26

Just to be a little contrary - it may be worthwhile having his ears checked. DD had no outward sign of ear infections but at her well baby checks it was always commented on that her eardrums looked a bit red. At 19 months and not even repeating a word, I went to the local speech therapist and she recommended an ENT visit with a hearing test.

After a few courses of antibiotics (every time there was a fever her ears were worse, when Dr inspected them) she finally repeated 'moo'. She was gone 20 months.

Don't just think it's a phase; it might be something else and it doesn't take much to get it checked out. All in all said, you will know your child best and whether you feel his development is progressing satisfactorily.

missmoopy · 03/03/2010 21:31

My dd (now 5) barely said a word until 16 months old and then immediately started talking in sentences. We can barely shut her up now!!! Try not to worry but talk to HV if worried.

Original poster

littlebylittle · 10/03/2010 21:33

saw health visitor today- it turns out ds has two or three words - uh oh (if something falls on floor etc!) horse noise and giraffe noise (well they make a noise in our house - something like munching leaves!)!! Not sure I would have given those as words but heh! And she said 18 months before you might even think about worrying about either and even then would be monitoring rather than anything else. Don't know if that helps anyone else but bearing in mind that was our health visitor who relishes a "problem" to sort out I felt very reassured!

OP posts:

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 10/03/2010 21:46

My DS has loads of noises - for trains, dogs, pigs, helicoptors, police cars/fire engines, ducks etc yet our hv didn't count those as words, so my ds2 who is 21 months old and has 4 real words has been referred to classes for lo's with speech delay.

Strix · 10/03/2010 21:55

Children who sign don't have as much need to talk, so often they avoid it for a while longer.

Original poster

littlebylittle · 10/03/2010 22:02

Just checking Strix, does that mean signing is a problem?

OP posts:

Strix · 10/03/2010 22:06

I don't think so. It just means if you can communicate by moving your hands then there is less reason to learn to speak. I guess it is a bit like bottom shufflers walk later because they are already upright and have their hands free so don't really NEED to walk. In the long term I don't think it is a problem.

My children were always very average, or even behind where those stupid baby books ssaid they should be. They are now almost 5 and almost 7 and probably a bit above average intelligence. Not geniuses, but performing a bit above average at school.

j0807bump · 10/03/2010 22:24

when DS was nearly 2 and not saying anything apart from 'mam' and 'da' i got really worried

he spent alot of time with neice (10wks older) who was really waffling, this along with DS earlier being suspected Downs really worried me.

it seemed to happen overnight, just after 2yrs and as some other posts say, once he started to chat he was producing sentences far quicker than those i compared him too

prehaps a boy thing? but if he has an understanding of what you say and what he wants i'd try not to worry x

BertieBotts · 10/03/2010 22:30

No Strix, that isn't true - signing has been shown to promote earlier talking, in general. Can't find the details of the study now but I think it was done in the US a few years ago.

However it does provide a useful "bridge" between not talking and talking. And often toddlers who are tired or over emotional (tantruming etc) will revert to using signs instead of speaking, when they are capable of saying the words.

Original poster

littlebylittle · 10/03/2010 22:59

I am with Bertie, although interested in your point Strix, dd signed a lot, before and during learning to speak, and had a very extensive early vocab (part of the reason why ds talking less is noticeable in our house). It's true she dropped the sign when she had the word, but since you always say the word when you sign, I am absolutely sure the signing didn't hold her back, if anything moved her on and sure that it isn't with ds. If anything, the poor thing would be so so frustrated if he couldn't sign either. dd rarely had tantrums and I can't help but think the signing helped there too.

OP posts:

Strix · 11/03/2010 08:48

Bertie, that is true in the longer term, but not at 16 months. And I don't think your comments are really helpful to the OP's concerns.

Signing is a second language, and just like learning say French or Spanish at the same time as English, there is typically a delay in speech before both languages emerge. And then the bilingual child's language often surpasses his/her monolingual peers.

I have a neice who is bilingual. Her speech was delayed as a toddler. And this was certainly not an indication of slow development. She is a teenager now and is clearly VERY bright.

Original poster

littlebylittle · 11/03/2010 21:58

Strix, I don't mean to harangue you, but please can you tell me where you know this from? Is it from applying what you know about children bilingual in two spoken languages to signing, or is it from specific knowledge of signing with hearing babies? It feels quite important as it is contrary to everything I know about signing with babies. It isn't two languages running separately, you always speak and sign the word together, which isn't the case with speaking two languages at home; if you are saying something in french you can't simultaneously be saying it in english. And it isn't like signing with a deaf child, where the signing presumably is the sole language. So I don't know that we're comparing like with like. But you may know better and that's why I'm asking. To be perfectly honest, this has moved away from my original point and the most helpful comments have been from parents of late talkers who have subsequently caught up. Incidentally, I was a late talker and consider myself to be articulate now, not just caught up. (late walker too, but definitely have overtaken no one in that department

OP posts:

Casmama · 12/03/2010 09:54

Just to support what Strix has said, I have been told by two language and development therapists from the local hospital (one at antenatal classes and another at weaning fair) that they don't particularly recommend teaching signing as it can delay speech initially as children don't need to speak to get their point across.
I'm sure in the longer term it does no harm and as you suggest may help their language but the point was clear to me that initial speech can be delayed.
It sounds like you have nothing to worry about - if your hv is a bit of a busybody and she isn't worried then I'm sure all is fine and soon enough you'll be wishing you could shut him up

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