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Original poster

14month old - No words/ not speaking

53 replies

Katewillows1 · 15/11/2021 00:33

Hi All,
Just seeing if anyone can please give me some advice. My nearly 14month old DS has no clear words as yet... He is very vocal and babbles alot but isn't speaking any words and doesn't copy anything we say... He say 'mamama' but it's not directed at me, so he isn't connecting the babble with me...
He's doing well in most other areas, makes good eye contact with ppl, laughs and giggles, is engaging, responds to his name, claps, waves to hi and bye, points to things he wants, points to things he finds interesting, sleeps through the night, walks, fairly good eater....
At his 12 month check, the Dr indicted at 1year he should have 2 clear words other than Mum and Dad... I wasn't concerned at the time, but 2 months later there's still no speech...
Do you think I should be worried? Or just wait & see?
Thanks so much

OP posts:

Alexahelp · 15/11/2021 22:22

Mine is just turned 14 months - her non verbal communication is really good I think, sounds similar to yours, but none of her constant babbling could be described as a word relating to a ‘thing’. It’s like she’s chatting in her own world. I’m working on the theory that one day the chatting will suddenly make sense!

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 05/12/2021 23:26

@Alexahelp Hi, is your LO talking yet? Mine still has now words and it's starting to worry me :(

OP posts:

Rrrob · 05/12/2021 23:31

Hi @Katewillows1 my 19m old only says dada, mama and duck, all of which came in the last couple of months. He understands EVERYTHING, points, claps, waves and uses a combination of pointing and signing to tell us what he wants. I am beginning to worry but hoping the words will all come soon. I think if he is communicating in other ways I wouldn’t worry yet.

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ToDuk · 06/12/2021 05:22

@Katewillows1 does your baby babble? That's an important stage. And more importantly did you ask for a referral for a hearing test?

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 06/12/2021 05:49

@ToDuk Hi, thanks for the message. Yes, my DS babbles all the time and points, waves, claps and nods yes and no. I feel like he tries and enjoy communicating but has not managed any clear words as yet...
Hearing is 100% fine

OP posts:

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 06/12/2021 05:50

@Rrrob Thanks for the message. That's great that your 19m old has formed a few words. Does he/she babble alot as well?

OP posts:

ToDuk · 06/12/2021 06:07

Babbling is good. I wouldn't worry about it until the new year and then I'd speak to the GP / HV.

However, how do you know his hearing is 100% fine? I'm a teacher of the deaf and have seen so many children turn out to have a hearing level that means they still respond to sounds but aren't hearing enough to fully access speech.

cuju2407 · 06/12/2021 06:29

Does he understand words and commands that you say to him? My son has autism and is non verbal, his lack of speech was one of the first indications but also more importantly his lack of understanding. He didn't point or wave and didn't have any understanding of words that were said to him. Speech in some children just takes a little bit longer but if you have concerns ask your health visitor to come out and do an assessment

Phillipa12 · 06/12/2021 06:47

I have 4dc and they all started speaking at wildly different ages. Dc1 who is moderately deaf and diagnosed at 12 weeks old because of the newborn screening programme started with words at 14 months and was making simple 3/4 word sentences by 2.5. Dc2 was around 18 months, by 3 she had verbal diorhea. Dc3 was about 2.5 and closer to 3.5 when he started stringing more than 3 words together, he's still not much of a talker, he's more a thinker. Dc4 was around 18 months, by 3 he wouldn't shut up. Every child is different, nursery and HVs were never concerned. Just keep talking to them, it will happen.

Youhaveyourhandsfull · 06/12/2021 06:56

Our youngest didn’t say anything much aside ‘dog’ until she was 3. I think I took peace and quiet (from her at least) for granted while I had it.

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 06/12/2021 08:56

Thanks for all your messages.

@cuju2407 I think my son hads age appropriate understanding of what we say to him. If we say 'where's Dookie' (our dog) he looks and sometimes points to him. Or if we say 'Bottle time', he'll run over to the bottle machine.
Did your son still babble? Or were there no sounds at all? How old was your son when he was diagnosed?
Thanks so much

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Grumpyosaurus · 06/12/2021 09:04

I'd relax a bit, OP, which I know is hard when you're worried about a DC. He is understanding what you say.

One of mine talked very late (over two before she ever strung two words together). She has ended up as a bright and highly articulate adult.

IgneousRock · 06/12/2021 09:10

He sounds fine to me OP. My DS2 was a fairly late talker (only a handful of words by 2yo), he's now 12yo and doing really well at school.

TangerineLimes · 06/12/2021 09:18

My DS was the same. I think at around 16 months the words started and they came very fast and he was actually advanced at speech by 2 (Ie saying more sentences than others his age)
It's too early to worry. I wasn't worried because I knew he understood.

We used to read books to him and he started pointing at things from books (eg body parts)

Your health visitor should be able to advise if you are worried.

Caspianberg · 06/12/2021 09:23

Ds is 19 months. He didn’t babble or say anything at 14 months.
Even 18 months barely anything
In the last month he now says dada, cats name, teeth, banana and babbles a lots more.

He just needed a bit more time. I have no doubt he will be talking more each month.

Frlrlrubert · 06/12/2021 09:24

DD was 15 months this time 4 years ago, and I remember that she only said 'mamamamama' which meant 'I have an unmet need' (hungry, thirsty, nappy, etc) and 'Dack' which basically meant 'that'. We had mugs printed for the grandparents with her picture and 'Dack' for Christmas 🤶

She seemed fairly average of her peer group at the time with regards to language.

By 2.5 nursery were commenting on how good her vocabulary was (she'd say 'enormous' instead of 'big' for example).

Now she's 5 and the reception phonics/reading stuff is a total nightmare, she resists every night and it's a constant battle.

TLDR: development is a rollercoaster, I wouldn't worry just yet, I think no words by closer to two would be a worry, but not yet.

cuju2407 · 06/12/2021 09:29

@Katewillows1

Thanks for all your messages.

@cuju2407 I think my son hads age appropriate understanding of what we say to him. If we say 'where's Dookie' (our dog) he looks and sometimes points to him. Or if we say 'Bottle time', he'll run over to the bottle machine.
Did your son still babble? Or were there no sounds at all? How old was your son when he was diagnosed?
Thanks so much

He was late with babbling. He didn't really start to babble until he was 12 months old. He just made little noises before this. I first raised my concerns at 15 months. My health visitor waited until he was 18 months and then put the referral in. His lack of speech was just one of many red flags he showed for autism. If your little one has age appropriate understanding then try and not worry. This is a good sign and hopefully language will follow.

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 07/12/2021 04:04

Thanks for all your advice. I just hope he blurts out 'Mumma' one day soon..
Perhaps the only thing he remotely says is 'Ta' - he repeats after us about 50% of the time... does that count? Haha, not really a word after all...

OP posts:

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 17/01/2022 23:44

Hi All,
Not sure if anyone will see this message (I don't know if threads go dormant after a period of time), just hoping for some more advice. My LO is now 16 months old and his lack of speech is still worrying me. He now says 'ta' for thank you in context without being prompted, and will say 'duck duck' when he sees his bath duck (although not every time). He can say 'Mumma' and 'Dadda' although will only repeat after we ask him/ prompt him. He doesn't call out 'Mumma' or 'Dadda' to get our attention.
If I say 'Where's Dadda', he will turn and point to my husband, so I think he gets it, but just can't connect it verbally.
We talk to him allll day, every day, read to him, explain what we're doing, i.e. changing his nappy, making dinner etc., we ask him questions, point things out etc., so I'm not sure there's much else we can do to help him along..
Does all this sounds fairly normal? I have taken him to the GP who went through the 16 month checklist and he appears to be reaching most the other milestones, but his speech is a little behind. The GP said he isn't overly worried and we'll revisit his speech at his 18 month check...
Anyway, any advice/ similar stories would be great. Thanks so much x

OP posts:

ablisha · 17/01/2022 23:47

My DS is 15 months and is fairly similar. He can say 'bye bye' but mainly just says out dogs name 🙈 even Mama and Dada is very rare! He seems to pick up words and then not say them again. One the wonder!!

Nursery have said they aren't worried at the moment so I am hoping that this is just normal for his age.

cuju2407 · 18/01/2022 06:25

Try and not worry, he does just seem to need a little more time. I have worked as a nanny for twenty years and one of the children I cared for didn't really start to talk until he was aged two. He is now a very bright teenager and top of all his classes. Some children just simply need more time. As I said in my previous post my little one is almost 3, non verbal and has autism. He had no understanding of what is being said to him. He still doesn't understand the words mumma or dadda. His lack of speech was just one of many indicators of autism. I would try not be so hung up on speech and concentrate more on is level of understanding and gestures. If he can point to what he wants and express his needs this way then that is a great indicator of his receptive language skills. You are doing absolutely everything you can and providing a lovely learning environment for him

Twizbe · 18/01/2022 06:59

Please don't worry. There's a saying that babies either walk before they talk or talk before they walk.

It means that basically they learn one at a time. It sounds like your son went for walk first. The speech will come.

If it helps my two were the other way round. Neither crawled until 11 months. Eldest walked at 16 months, youngest was 17 months! But my youngest was chatting away like anything from close to a year old. She's almost 3 now and I've never heard a child her age speak like her. But she took her serious time with moving.

It's all normal and evens out. If by 2 you've still got concerns you can see a speech therapist.

miltonj · 18/01/2022 07:41

That is all completely normal for a 16 month old.

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 02/02/2022 01:16

Thank you so much for the words of support... he's getting quite frustrated now, not being able to verbalise what he wants. Still pointing and babbling like there's no tomorrow, so he doesn't manage to get his point across. Will continue to encourage him with lots of language and hope it starts soon x

OP posts:

Original poster

Katewillows1 · 02/02/2022 01:17

Correction - DOES manage to get his point across

OP posts:

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