Child's speech

[gee111]

What age did you child start talking? My child is 14 months old and he doesn’t say one word, doesn’t babble, can’t gesture and he doesn’t understand anything I tell him. He can make one syllable sounds and he shouts alot but that’s about it. When I try and teach him he is not interested at all. I have spoke to the healthcare visitor about this and should hopefully be getting some help with this but has this happened to anyone else’s child and did they turn out fine in the end?

Does he understand any words, for example if you said ‘where is teddy/ball’ would he look at them? Does he bring you things, or hold things up to show you? Does he copy anything you do - like sticking your tongue out, clapping or blowing raspberries?

My kids started talking young and by 14 months were saying quite a few words. I would be concerned in your shoes.

However, every child is different and I have 2 different relatives who didn't speak until very late. Both fine now as adults and without any learning issues.

I would keep on at the health visitor in your shoes. I would also not allow any screen time at all and spend a lot of time interacting with the little one, just pointing things out all the time and telling them "that's the mirror, the sofa, whatever" (of course you may well already be doing these things tho)

No he doesn't, im abit worried about it

Yes my health visitor told me the same thing and I should going to a group for his talking soon.. they called me today saying there me a space available

@gee111 I'm glad there's space at a group for him. Just keep talking to him, without background noise from music or TV and even if he doesn't seem interested, keep doing it until you get to the group and get some professional advice/tips.

I'd also be big on doing nursery rhymes with him and looking to take him to rhyme time groups at the library/wherever. If he has a dummy, try to wean him off it in the day.

Good luck.

I agree with @Dacadactyl to limit screen time as much as possible and to spend time just chatting, singing to and playing with him.

Hanen is great website for ideas on how to develop communication, and Speech and Language U.K. have a phone number you can call for advice:

https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/help-for-families/

https://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Parent-Tips.aspx

DC is 27 months and nothing. HV referred us to paediatrics who said not concerned at the time (was October 23). Would get in touch once DC had turned two... not heard a peep so will need to chase up again!

14 months old is very young to be actually talking.
My daughter wasn't speaking at 2. I started writing down new words as she said them - within 3 months I couldn't keep up and she was speaking in sentences.

However, her understanding was brilliant. Can your son follow simple instructions - getting his shoes or a favourite toy? If he wants something will he go to get it himself? The understanding would worry me more than his lack of speech.

No he doesn't understand things either

I don’t think not speaking at 14 months is particularly unusual although I would be concerned by 18 months and very concerned by 2.

12-14 months is the average age for first words. Girls tend to be earlier on this scale (around 12 months) and boys a little later (13-14 months).

14 months isn’t ’very late’ not to be talking but if they have no words at this age I would be looking to make an effort to bring their communication on, using the ideas from the websites above.

Health visitors can be a bit slow to be honest, I would take advice from Speech and Language U.K. rather than the HV

Okay so should I be worried about him not understanding at 14months?

My nephew was like this tbh. No words at all until around 1.5 and then they were rather random ones! He's 2.3 now and has lots of words, says sentences etc. I'd go along to the groups though, it can't hurt but I don't think I'd worry quite yet.

If he doesn’t understand a single word - teddy, dada, drink - yes I would be concerned.

DS is 12 months, has just started saying ‘dada’ in context but no other words yet. However he understands around 25 words (doggy, bird, cup, book) and will do a couple of things if asked (clap hands, ta).

He seems quite average among babies his age.

Don’t panic, but I would get the ball rolling sooner rather than later to help him.

Hi haveli did your nephew understand things at that age?

My uncle didn't say a word until he was 4, at which point he suddenly started speaking fluently. No interventions or professional help available (1940s).

No identified SEN, very intelligent and became a CEO of a major company.

It's worth getting whatever help is available, but there's also every reason to be optimistic.

I would ask for a referral for a hearing test. If he's not understanding, then it could be that he's not hearing everything you are saying to him. Try not to worry, you are doing a great job by being proactive and speaking to the health visitor already. My youngest didn't have many words at all until he was 2 years 3 months when he suddenly went from very little to full on conversations. Keep playing with him, singing songs and talking to him about everything you do and hopefully it will all suddenly just click.

He had a hearing test when he was born and it come back fine and I will keep trying🙏🏼

I’d be very very concerned about the lack of understanding. And about the lack of gestures to communicate.
No words isn’t a problem.

How is his attention? Can you read a simple book together? Does he play with toys in the way you would expect?

Hearing can change over time so it's definitely still worth getting it checked. He could have developed something simple like glue ear. My son has regular tests as he's got mild hearing loss despite passing his newborn screening

He definitely needs a hearing test as soon as you can. Could be as simple as him having blocked ears.

The not having any understanding is quite concerning at 14 months, I would pop to the GP on Monday get his hearing test booked in and ask for a referral to speech and language.

Okay I will get it sorted.. I'm extremely concerned at the moment

My youngest has a speech delay and I’ve sought help. I’ll be honest 14 months old to not understand anything I think is concerning.

My child is 18 months and I was just coming on here to find out when to get concerned and saw this in active coincidentally.

OP, from memory I noticed understanding going from practically 0 to a lot in a matter of weeks at around the age of 14 months. Even at 13 months we weren't sure if he knew who was dada and who was mama.

Now at 18 months understanding is fine, but I'm getting seriously concerned about speech and nursery have also mentioned it to us. Like your son, he makes the same sounds a lot and can say the odd word (duck) but does not use speech to communicate at all.

Not even contacted the heath visitor yet so your post has spurred me on to do this.

Agree with the advice about getting his hearing checked.

At this age, the lack of babbling, gestures and understanding are more significant than him not using any words.

It's good you've spoken to your HV.

Try using some signing with him (there's baby signing or you can look up Makaton/Signalong).

You might find this more helpful than randoms on the internet whose child talked early or late. Not saying words at 14 months is not a worry so long as other communication/babbling/understanding development is there: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/help-for-families/ages-and-stages/12-18-months/