If your child wasn't talking (no words) at 2 years old

[dogmum00]

When did they start talking and is there anything you did specifically that helped?

You should go and see your HV or GP and get a referral for a hearing test and get on the waiting list for speech therapy.

Outside of that just carry on as you are. Speak to them lots, leaving gaps for them to join in, but don't ask questions. Loads and loads of nursery rhymes and books. Keep background noise like TV/radio to a minimum. Make eye contact as much as possible. Be repetitive in your language use, keep language simple too.

And just wait, almost all kids who don't talk at 2 are just slow starters and will be chatting away soon.

My son had a couple of words then it all came on all of a sudden
He now speaks like a fully grown adult aged 4 😂🤍 but if you are worried seek help.
Ms Rachel on YouTube is great too.

No words at all? No Dada? Mama?
What about sounds?
HV for hearing test, and on list for speach therapy.

DS1 was very slow with speech - less than 10 words at his 2 year check, but it just exploded around 30 months, and he just started in sentences. Keep talking, keep verbalizing what they want, keep reading to them.

Mine couldn’t speak at 2. We did hearing tests (clear) and a HV came round and assessed him more generally. He was doing lots of babbling including really imitating conversational ebbs and flows and his understanding was good. Conclusion nothing wrong and he started talking in full sentences not long after.

This pattern of doing things a bit late but then doing them really well has continued! Late walker but then never really fell over, late at potty training but then literally no accidents/ has never wet the bed. Same with bike riding and reading! I have come to the conclusion that he likes to wait until he’s good at something before really doing it.

If you can afford it, pay for a private hearing test. NHS waits can be long and this is a crucial time for language acquisition if there are any hearing problems.

I don't actually know of any little ones that didn't have at least a couple of words. Do they make usual baby noises and babbling? Def get in touch with health visitor so u can at least get them on waiting list for speech therapy or go private if u can afford.

My niece only really said mama and daddy at 2. She hardly said much at all until she was 4 when she could spk normally. She's still a quiet girl now.

private weekly SALT, ASD diagnosis and lots of early intervention on preparation for starting school. He was around 4/5 by the time we were getting simple sentences

It's unusual and can be a sign of a neurodevelopmental condition. But definitely get hearing checked first of course

Thank you for your comments. Sorry I should of said he can say mama and dada (although tends to say mum) and chats away to himself and babbles but it's just gibberish.

DS wasn't speaking apart from dada/mama/Baba at his 26th month HV visit. She suggested referring him for speech therapy. It was literally the next week when he surprisingly starting speaking in full sentences.
Does your dc understand you? Does he know words, but he just can't say them yet? For example, my son would bring something if I asked him to go get it e.g. jacket or a specific toy. He could follow an instruction like, "put your blue car on the table." He seemed to understand everything I said, he was just reluctant to talk.

If you're worried, contact your HV.

Has he had a hearing test/seen SaLT yet?

I would wait another six months. Mine was about that as she turned 2 and now speaks full sentences, past and future tenses, etc. (Almost 3)

One of my DC was like this. I didn't want to do anything about it as my gut feeling was fine, but my GP was "very concerned". We got referred for a hearing test (even though his hearing was clearly fine, seeing as eg he often woke when I tiptoed out of the room and the floorboards creaked) and speech therapy. By the time he was 2.5, he was speaking in whole sentences and I regret all the worrying and not listening to my gut feeling.
I now know quite a few kids (all boys) who were late speaking. Only one of them has a hearing problem, all the others caught up quite quickly.
My point is, listen to your instinct. 2 years is still early to make a big deal out of a speech delay.

Child was referred to speech therapy at around age 2, but didn't get appointment until nearly age 3. He started speaking shortly after that. After 6 months his speech was perfect and fluent. It was weird to think he'd only been speaking for 6 months of his life. He'd clearly been listening though and understood how to pronounce words and knew what they meant.

Please do get this assessed.
One of my kids spoke very late but started in complete, complex sentences.
I was waiting for the second to do the same, but we did eventually get a diagnosis of an expressive language disorder.
If help is needed, then the sooner you start the better.

DD barely said anything at 2 (mama, dada, no, a lot of babbling). By 2.5 we had 2-3 word sentences and by 4 she was speaking like an adult. I wasn’t overly worried as her hearing and understanding was clearly very good. For whatever reason she didn’t want to talk until she could it properly which unfortunately has been a bit of lasting personality trait and she does tend to struggle with motivation when she finds something tricky.

A child in our extended family is like this and he has been found to have glue ear, but the waiting list for treatment is up to 18 months! Completely unacceptable at this crucial period in language development. Do get things checked out sooner rather than later.

My son had speech delay. Hearing was checked and was fine. Speech therapist advised to not just give him things if he wanted then but encourage to ask for them. So if he wanted a drink encourage him to say drink before handing it over. At first he couldn't say the word so gave him the drink for attempting to say it if that makes sense. He was diagnosed with autism aged 3.5

DH didn’t speak till after 2. Turned out he needed an op, his Mother says it was like a tap being turned on after. His older sister is very chatty and his Mother assumed she had just been talking for him. So he didn’t really speak much at all till almost 4 as he couldn’t hear. He needed speech therapy. He has a very clear lovely voice with a deep RP accent now.

Similar to @IHaveAParticularSetOfSkills
DD was very physically advanced but was behind all her same age peers at 2 years. Had a GP check her ears, couldn't see any blockages. Spoke to nursery aged 18m who wanted to wait and then consider again after she was 2. She only really said daddy/bye/car up to 2, but understood loads and could follow an instruction.
Suddenly after 2 she is saying lots more. Lots of single words and sometimes 2/3 words together

When mine had his 22 month check I couldn't tick the "uses at least 5 words regularly" box (but he did seem to understand everything said around him, so it was pretty easy to relax about). By 26 months he was talking in 4-5 word sentences. He's adult now - no further problems, super-bright in fact. The pattern of being cautious about a new thing, hanging back sometimes behind his peers, then suddenly being ready and going for it full speed, did show up a few more times, and I've often wondered whether I imagine that those things are connected!

We went on holiday the week before Dts turned two. I remember specifically being worried about them having no words. When we got back six weeks later they were talking in proper sentences.

At 2 he was screaming to get his own way. No words but he seemed to understand words like ‘milk’ he liked being close to me, the dogs his sibling hated being in his cot.

I was convinced something was wrong nursery (outstanding and private) thought not - he was running and eating and all normal. He was clearly clever as he could unlock the doors and see where I put the keys etc and escape.

I was brushed off my health visitor as being judgment about him
related Very bright snf articulate elder sister.

at nearly 3 -
I saw my friend a gp and she said let’s refer him to audiology - he was deaf. Very simple. Deaf.

I knew he wasn’t right. We had no doorbell but he would follow the dogs to the front door etc he was feeling the vibrations

intensive salt following and private assessment followed

apart from certain words he has ongoing salt and auditory processing he is very bright and clever young man - after operation hearing is 80%

he still can’t say squirrel though ….. so now he calls it a tailed rat 😂

salt will be ongoing until at least end of year 6

we play games like mrs brown went shopping and got ….. all the time to help with remembering words and sequence et

That is just appalling, as you say this is a key time! I despair at the nhs at the moment.

Dd had a few representational words at 2, eg 'jeesh' consistently meant breadsticks, and she made a few animal noises.

2 years 4 months she was speaking in full sentences and comparing objects by saying they were 'similar. So, on the face of it, a very rapid catch-up.

However, at 15 she was diagnosed with ADHD and her Educational Psychologist has shared that he feels she is also autistic.

All through her childhood she had social communication issues, and difficulties with generalisations.