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Still not talking...

14 replies

100Vicki · 19/07/2006 10:03

Hi there. I'm a little concerned about my 15 month old son. He babbles and makes all sorts of noises and sounds but has yet to say his first proper word. I know all children develop at different rates, but my friends litle girl can sing along to 3 or 4 nursery rhymes and is always talking and she's only a few months older than my ds. I'm always reading and talking to him, I don't know what else I can do. Should I be worried?

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pucca · 19/07/2006 10:09

I don't think you need to be worried, they are all different.

My nephew and my friend's little boy don't talk much and one is 2.3YO and they other is very nearly 3 YO. Imo boys tend to be more into physical things earlier on, my nephew can totally out do my dd on the climbing, running jumping front and they are very close in age, yet my dd is a talker.

They are all different but all end up catching up to each other.

coppertop · 19/07/2006 10:23

If you think that he understands you when you give simple instructions (eg "Pick up the bricks") and he lets you know what he wants in other ways, then he's probably absolutely fine. Girls often seem to be ahead of boys when it comes to language skills so don't be too tempted to compare your ds to your friend's dd.

pablopatito · 19/07/2006 11:11

My 14 and a half month old son is exactly the same. He babbles in his own unique way with plenty of vowels and consonants, but no real words whatsoever.

I wasn't at all worried until I read coppertop saying he should understand me when I tell him to "pick up the bricks". He certainly doesn't appear to.

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hotmama · 19/07/2006 11:19

Ah but there is a difference to understanding what mum is saying and actually doing it it may be that he soes understand but is having 'selective hearing loss' IYKWIM.

trinityrhino · 19/07/2006 11:23

my 15 month old only sort of says dadaaa and mumum and not totally at the time IYSWIM

she bables and says aaaa aaaa when she wants something and points
she does understand waht I say though like " take that out of your mouth"....she runs away so I can't

and "give that to mummy" sometimes she gives it sometimes she doesn't but I know she unsderstands what I mean

I was worrying that she should be able to say more but I decided to not worry to save my sanity, I'll worry in a few months time if nothing has changed

trinityrhino · 19/07/2006 11:23

that should say ..at the right time

Callisto · 19/07/2006 11:51

My dd is 14months old with no words but very good at getting around. According to HV some children talk first and some children walk first but no children do both. I was also talking to the lady who runs the sing and sign class we go to and she says that animal impressions count as first words - dd has been doing impressions of my cats and dogs for months now.

januarymum · 19/07/2006 12:13

Don't worry my dd 2.6yrs has only in the last month six weeks really started to talk (reminber once they start they don't stop dd even talks in her sleep).

As Callisto said children either develop in movement ( Dd was walking at 10mths, clibing at 12 mths and hasn't stopped since she learnt how to roll over), or talking one her freinds has spoken sentences since 18mths but is no where as confident when it comes to running and climbing.

If your ds is happy and understands what you tell him to do, then i think he will get there in his own time.

fedda · 19/07/2006 13:22

Don't worry, all children develop in different ways and they always surprise us. Recently I saw a little girl who is 2,5 and she prefers gestures to talking. When she talks on rare occasions, she uses sounds or single words. I could tell that someone who looks after her is really worried about it and keeps saying to a little girl, come on, say hello. No, not waving, say hello. That can make a little person more worried and so less wanting to talk. i think the more they see us worried that they don't talk properly, don't eat properly, don't walk properly, etc., the harder it can be on them. Well, anyway, it's just my opinion. I started to play with the little girl, we were looking at different colours and i was saying the name of the colours, never once did I ask her to repeat it. Suddenly she just started to repeat after me: yellow, blue, pink and she looked really happy, smiling and running around. When it was time to go, she just waved goodbye, she didn't say it, well it's okay, she will when she is ready. I know, it's easy to say don't worry but if you think about the whole life, does is matter that much if someone's child speaks better then yours at the moment, you don't know how your little lad is going to speak when he is three or four and I think, if you relax about it and just make more games with words and sounds, may be songs if he likes them, he will truly surprise you. Good luck!

shazronnie · 19/07/2006 13:37

At the age of 2 my DS1 couls say yuck and shhh.
Now he has just turned 3 and he talks constantly, and has a huge vocab, so don't worry!

USAUKMum · 19/07/2006 13:49

100Vicki -- nothing to worry about yet. With dd she was saying the odd word at 15 mths. At 2.5 her nursery talked to me as they were concerned she was only "on level 1' for speech. I said, she understands everything I say, her Dad didn't talk until 3, I'm not worried. about 3 mths later. They talked to me again, nothing to worry about, she jumped straight to level 5 (full blown sentences and conversation).

It looks like my ds is heading the same way. Maybe yours is the same.

They all "specialise" in something and the other developmental stuff lags. Both mine were early walkers, runners, climbers, etc. I'm sure they were thinking "all that talk stuff isn't as fun as moving about"

aragon · 19/07/2006 13:52

Hiya,

Just to reassure you - my son was a very late talker. In fact it's really only been in the last 12 months that we've had any joined words leading to conversation. He is now 3.5 and chatters away like anything.

If you're happy that he can hear ok then just sit back and wait. I can tell you that since DS started talking he hasn't shut up - oh for those nice quieter days.

dreamteamgirl · 19/07/2006 20:45

Hiya
I did a post just like this about 3 months ago. DS is now 17 months and is learning a new word every day. It just happened all of a sudden. I am sure its not connected but during nappy changes I played by doing the vowel sounds "A, E I, O, U" really slow and drawn out and he liked touching my mouth and copying the shape with his mouth.
Also I have been showing him the letters on his books, on the fridge magnets and on his door and spelling things phoenetically. This week he has learned airplane, row (as in row your boat), puppies and bubbles plus "ROAR" for lions and "Sssss" for snakes. He now has about 35 words which I am just thrilled about!!
what I am saying is I was as worried as you, but one day about 2-3 weeks ago he just "got it"
DTG

100Vicki · 19/07/2006 21:10

Thanks for all the advice. It's reassuring to know that my ds is perfectly normal. I know that he understands some of what I'm saying as he's started nodding and shaking his head in response to my questions. I'm not one of these neurotic mothers but was beginning to get a bit concerned that he hasn't actually said a proper word. After reading some of your messages though I realise that he's not behind or anything and will hopefully just develop at his own rate. Thanks again !

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