Possible speech delay? Feel like crap parent

[beibermylove]

My baby is 18 months - only started walking in the last few weeks. He only says "ball", but babbles constantly in an expressive way.

I'm a lone parent and work nights (from home) so feel quite tired generally - I feel so guilty because I think maybe I'm not interacting with him enough! I always remind myself to narrate constantly, but I always seem to forget! He's with me 24/7 - co-sleeps and still breastfeeds every few hours. He's incredibly happy - running around laughing and playing by himself for a long time...a very easy baby. He never "asks" for anything - when he wants milk he helps himself, and all his toys are around him. Maybe he needs more reason to communicate? Oh, and incidentally he shows no sign of separation anxiety either , which I've read is another milestone!

He's starting nursery soon, maybe that will help? I feel so guilty!

He will come on leaps and bounds at nursery chatting to
His peers. Youre not doin anything wrong!

You're not doing anything wrong. I tried narrating for a bit then felt like a bit of a tool and stopped.

Try repeating the babble back to him if he makes any discernible sounds as that is supposed to be good. Also if dd looks at anything I say the name several times which can help

Ds1 didn't proper speak til he was almost 2.5yrs old. He started, then stopped. I took him to a SALT drop in who concluded he was abnormally quiet (made no noise at all in the time we were there) and had a significant speech delay, despite carrying out all the tasks they asked of him. Sent for hearing tests. I wasn't too worried as he showed excellent understanding followed 3 step instructions etc and could hear the words "jelly baby" a mile away. He was obviously very switched on, but I thought he was shy of talking I front of people.

He started talking, a couple of words for a couple of weeks then reciting full books, counting (actual counting, not just saying numbers) alphabet, songs etc. He's just turned 3 and is streets ahead of his peers, who all started at least a year before him.

When my now grown up ds was 2 he could say 10 words. And that was pushing it as l was the only one who could understand some of them.
Sometimes now he keeps me up talking until 2 o' clock in the morning. Somewhere along the way he learnt to talk and l don't remember doing anything specific.
You could:
Read little picture books to practice naming.
Praise any effort he makes. So if he says baba for ball get all enthuastic and say you want the ball in a cheery voice.
Also keep things he likes..sometimes ..on a high shelf so he can see it but not reach it. He is then forced to make some sound to which you can respond immediately doing your enthuastic bit.
He is a happy fellow due to good mothering. His speech will come on. You can talk tp public health nurse if still worried as time goes on.

My ds had a speech delay and a later diagnosed speech sound disorder. I had no words at 18 months and started pestering our local SALT (speech and language therapy) drop in. We didn't start therapy till he was 2.5 but I knew something wasn't right as his comprehension was excellent. We had a few basic hand signs which helped massively for helping him to communicate. For the record I was a SAHM so the fact you are working/tired is really unlikely to be a factor. If you're not sure see if you have a clinic locally or ask the doctors/hv to refer. DS was signed off almost 18 months ago (he is now 7) and you would never know there had been an issue. Trust your gut on this one.

Thanks for the replies.

Because he's so happy and doesn't demand much attention I'm worried I might not be interacting with him as much as I should - especially when I have a lot to do! When he starts nursery I want to try to make the time we spend together more structured and quality.

DD barely had any words at all until she turned 2, then she had a massive verbal explosion and hasn't stopped talking since!
Try not to worry x

Does he understand what you say and can follow basic commands? If so, there is probably no cause for concern. In my experience boys are later to develop speech than girls (though not always). My now 5 year old only had a few words age 2. Compared with full sentences with my 2 year old girl. Best thing is to just keep talking to him. Point out one word descriptions of things. When he masters that go to two words then 3 etc. Eg ball, then red ball, then shiny red ball.

He understands "no" "come here" and "give me".

Interesting, I've heard about boys being slower.

18m is early to be concerned really but I would get his hearing checked just to rule that out. Your GP can refer him to audiology.

Also start putting him in a position where he has to make a verbal response. If he wants a drink hold milk and water in front of him and ask milk or water? Hold back until he verbalize a response. He needs to see that his voice is powerful.

My DS was 2 in May and was referred to speech and language at 19/20 months because the HV said he was supposed to have 6-10 words by 18 months and he didn’t.

He’s got a lot more words now and can put two words together,but I’m still not worried because his understanding is brilliant. If it helps, I was practically a SAHM until he was about 22 months.

Boys are slower had three myself. Grandson had a few words at 2.5 years, but understood everything. Now a year later he never stops. Other grandson 18 months, says dada, mama and brother. He was streets ahead in his other development tests so you just have to wait it out OP.

I've also wondered whether I need to talk more with DD. She is 15m old and I am slightly concerned because three months ago she was saying about 20 words but it only lasted a few weeks and now she hasn't said a word in over a month.

I have also wondered if it just being DD and I in the house means there isn't enough speech for her to learn from especially as we don't watch TV so if I'm not talking she's not hearing words.

Her vocabulary in terms of understanding seems good in terms of asking her to point to the car, ball, baby etc. in books but I cannot get her to form any words now.

I've actually booked an appointment with our GP on Wednesday to discuss this and have a general check over. I'll let you know if anything useful comes from that which I can pass on.

I'm.not sure "boys being slower" is very scientific..... ds1 waiting til he was 2.5 before speaking, and started with full sentences after a couple of weeks. Ds2 started about 13 month, is 18 months now and has hundreds of words.

I'm moving far away in a couple of weeks so no use asking for a referral here, but as soon as I'm in my new area I'll take him for a check. He def doesn't have 6-10 words!

Although its weird, he consistently uses the same word for the same things eg, he says "ah ah" whenever he waves goodbye. he says "aggy" for a dog or cat. "bouf" for water, "eyy" for no....but they have no relation to the actual word for these things!

All my children turned 2 with nary a word. I think their slow development must be a family thing, like ingrown toenails and creativity :) I was scared out of my wits but by 3 we were hearing a few words and now I sometimes wish I heard less :) :) :)

Everyone said don't panic but at the time, it's very hard not to. But try not to

And by the way it's nothing you did. My kids had books coming out their ears, more one to one time with engaged caregivers than any of their peers. They started to talk in a very sentencey way eventually - it makes me think perhaps they were getting everything sorted out before launching out.

Have you had his hearing checked?
DS did all the above with strange words for things and he had glue ear. (Try Olbas oil in hot water in his room overnight)

Read to him, every day. It's very important to share books and language for their developement

All children do things at different speeds, some will be earlier doing some things than others.

It's good that you're remembering to interact more. I found that just verbalising what I was doing helped a lot eg 'I'm going to take the wet washing out of the washing machine and hang it up to dry', no matter how mundane! As he's babbling I'd leave a gap for a response eg if I offered a drink I'd ask 'do you want milk or water?' and wait for a reply rather than assume what is wanted, thus encouraging him to reply.

Although its weird, he consistently uses the same word for the same things eg, he says "ah ah" whenever he waves goodbye. he says "aggy" for a dog or cat. "bouf" for water, "eyy" for no....but they have no relation to the actual word for these things!
Do it sounds like he does have 6 to 10 words for things but not the same as words you would use. This really could be a hearing problem. Please do get it chrcled as soon as you move. I'm a teacher of the deaf and have seen lots of children struggle because of undiagnosed hearing loss. It could well be glue ear which is easily dealt with.

You are not a crap parent at all! My ds is 16 months and still not walking. He can do it, he just finds it faster and easier to bum shuffle despite me being with him all day and doing my best to encourage him! As for speech, he can say 'ca' for cat and says 'no' all the time but thats it! This is despite me chatting away to him and interacting every single day all day.
Your little one will get there in his own time but please don't think you're doing anything wrong.

I think 18 months is quite young to worry. My mum used to be speech therapist and had mentioned to me that most children tend to have a language explosion around two. It does vary for each child and of course some have hearing or other problems but 18 months is too early to panic. A hearing check certainly won't do any harm if you are worried though. Just talk to him when you can, maybe add a bedtime story or encourage him to point and name things in picture books sometimes (ones with photos for things are particularly good for this) if you don't already.