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Parenting

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Original poster

21 month old not talking

31 replies

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 15:51

I’m starting to get a little worried about my 21month old son Not talking, he can say mum, dad and grandad but that’s it and it’s few and far between that he will say them most off the time he just babbles. He is very physically active doesn’t stop at all, he seems to understand what we say just doesn’t repeat anything.
Should I be as worried as I am about it?

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Bearno2 · 27/02/2020 15:55

Sorry no help - but following as my 20 month old doesn't talk yet either! Just the standard mama, dada, nana, etc. According to my health visitor as long as he shows understanding, which he does, it's OK. I'm still worried though!

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 16:00

I’m glad I’m alone, my health visitor said the same thing but I can’t help but worry about it.

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Elliesmommy · 27/02/2020 16:09

My first ds only said dada until 2.5 (30mths) then he took off with sentences! All childrenanre different. I would say if you are concerned bring them to a speech and language therapist. Also read read read. It's so important

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Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 16:24

Elliesmommy thank you, I do my son loves books and I’ve always bin a reader

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Elliesmommy · 27/02/2020 16:37

😊 I also got those big charts from the pound shops with all the different animals and colours etc. May help a bit. He will be fine. We all over worry ! It's our job. Before you know it you will be telling them be quiet !

SinkGirl · 27/02/2020 16:40

If he can understand you, that’s the main thing. If a child doesn’t understand words, they’re not going to talk. Work on communication skills rather than speech over the next few months - eg them understanding that their sounds and actions influence you and vice versa

Here you can refer to SALT if you feel they are delayed when they turn 2 so that they can be assessed.

I have two non verbal 3.5 year olds with autism but they don’t understand words. A friend of mine has a child with speech delay but he understood everything - he just started speaking out of nowhere, pretty much straight to sentences

lorisparkle · 27/02/2020 16:44

In some areas you can self refer to the speech and language therapy service if you are concerned. The website ican.org.uk/i-cans-talking-point/ is really useful with a progress checker and ideas of things to do to support. One of the key things we were advised by the speech therapist was to avoid asking the child lots of questions and to give the child lots of opportunities to speak. So playing alongside them and pausing and waiting.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 16:46

Elliesmommy thank you I will have a look for the charts to see if that helps.
Sinkgirl thank you I will try that he does understand me, I just worry about him and I’ve had a few comments about him not talking yet

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WhateverHappenedToBathPearls · 27/02/2020 16:51

You could get his hearing checked in case its glue ear

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 16:55

Thank you just check out the website it's has a lot off useful information on and he does have overly waxy ears to the point you can't get a proper temperature reading from one off his ears I've taken him to the doctors about it but they just keep telling me it's normal. As I had glue ear as a kid rectified by an operation at 15 they just think I'm over reacting

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katcha16 · 27/02/2020 17:02

I could have wrote this, my DS was the same by his second birthday had less than 10 words and not many more by 2.5 years. He would babble away and was (and still is) a very active happy little man!

After over a year of doctor/health visitor telling me he was fine (I was being told I was an over worried first time mam ) I went private and turns out he had really bad glue ear in both ears, has grommets in since November and the words are flowing out now (pronuciation would still be a slight issue, but is putting full sentences together, we can understand him) so its worth getting that checked.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 17:07

Katcha16 thank you I think this could be my sons problem as my mum says he is copying what I did at his age and had really bad glue ear ,my doctor doesn't seem to agree tho. He does have ear infections all the time in the last year he's had 8 ear infections

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nonsensicalmess · 27/02/2020 17:12

My HV arranged for a hearing test when my DS wasn't speaking (or babbling) by 18 months. It's worth pushing for even though there's likely no cause for concern.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 17:18

Thank you I'm going to push for it my HV is shocking not seen her since my little one was 8 months old year check early. I do have private healthcare by referral from my GP

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SinkGirl · 27/02/2020 17:36

Definitely worth getting hearing checked, it’s the first thing we did when ours weren’t talking at all. At that point we really thought one had a significant hearing issue as he never responded to us at all but we went into the test and he turned around for every bloody sound. I was stunned!

Hopefully it is that and therefore can be remedied. Definitely look up whether you can self refer to salt in your area and when.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 27/02/2020 17:40

Thank you And I will do

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DobbyLovesSocks · 27/02/2020 18:17

I ditto getting his hearing checked. Our DS wasn't communicating more than two word sentences, we had his ears checked and he had glue ear so bad he was virtually deaf . Mr Tumble was our saviour (as was the ENT surgeon who placed his first set of grommets)

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 27/02/2020 18:23

My first barely spoke until he was 3. The HV wasn't worried because he clearly understood everything. Did six months of SALT. Had his ears tested twice. Absolutely fine. Then one day he just started talking. He struggled with certain sounds for a bit but last christmas he had a speaking part in his drama class production and now he talks and sings all the time.

Dc2 is 20 months and has a big vocabulary. They are different children. She repeats everything I (and her brother) say. He never did that.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 28/02/2020 07:48

Dobbylovessocks I completely feel for your Ds as I had glue ear as a kid it was horrible, I'm trying to push for a hearing test but my doctor keeps telling me that there isn't a problem with Ds and that I'm just being overly concerned because of what I had as a child

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DobbyLovesSocks · 29/02/2020 12:31

@Hill1991I would be saying to doctor, yes I am worried so please refer me. Alternatively I would see a different doctor. My DH had awful hearing problems as a child with glue ear etc and ended up with a hearing aid (as well as grommets etc). GP was going to refer us anyway but knowing family history ticked another box for referral iyswim
In the meantime - introduce your DS to Mr tumble. If nothing else it will help with him being able to communicate with you

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 01/03/2020 11:04

I completely feel for your Ds as I had glue ear as a kid it was horrible, I'm trying to push for a hearing test but my doctor keeps telling me that there isn't a problem with Ds and that I'm just being overly concerned because of what I had as a child

If you can self refer to SALT, they can refer for hearing tests to rule that out.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 01/03/2020 18:38

Sounds normal to be tbh. He’s babbling ?
My LO could say the odd word but mostly it was gobbledeegoop until c25/26 months.

Original poster

Hill1991 · 01/03/2020 19:23

@Dinosauratemydaffodils I'm my area can't self refer until 2years so going make an appointment with the doctor to see if they can refer me.

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antonia34 · 01/03/2020 19:44

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Ready4abreak · 01/03/2020 19:55

I wouldn't worry too much. My DS said hardly anything until after 30 months. We were sent for hearing checks but his hearing was fine, SALT weren't interested because he clearly understood what was being said to him.

We did some searching and started taking him to a Talking Tots group once a week.

One day he just started and now literally never shuts up . He is 38 months now.

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