1yo understands very little language

[LoopyLou94]

They will respond to their name, "clap", and to gestures, but no signs of understanding other words at all (e.g. milk, toys, breakfast). All other signs of communication really positive e.g. eye contact, smiling, waving, clapping. Pointing is a gesture at the moment but it's not directed towards specific objects. Hearing has been checked and is completely fine. Would it be worth mentioning to HV? I keep seeing everywhere that they should be starting to make recognisable sounds now, but my LO is still saying one single sound over and over even if you try to get them to repeat something else. Concerned this could be a sign of a speech delay as LO was very slightly premature (36+6). Am I worrying unnecessarily?

You need to make a GP appointment and ask for a referal to audiology for a hearing test.

Hearing is completely fine, has been tested

I think this is a case where a more accurate age is needed. 12 months, keep an eye on it. 23 months, definitely talk to the HV.

Fair! 13 months.

I would say keep an eye for now. Just keep chatting lots and reading books/looking at picture books with him.
Some start speaking all of a sudden.
If it’s still the same in a few more months have a word with your HV

You could ask hv to come out say your concerned and they may do a one year review and see how they score.

It depends, do you speak to your child narrating your day? Do they have any screen time? Do you use any baby sign?

If you use screens I’d cut them out completely they really do delay kids , if not try introducing more signs and gestures and talk constantly to your child even when they don’t answer it makes a big difference

he’s 13 months old! he’s not going to be chatting yet. by the time my daughter was two she could have a full on conversation but my 3.5 year old son still isn’t although he attempts to his words are jumbled and mispronounced. i know he’s fine because he is improving, just at a different rate

13 months is still very young. Just chat away to him as you go throughout the day and look at books with him. Don't expect him to copy you but just let him keep hearing lots of language all the time as you narrate what you are doing. I talk to my dog all the time! Not sure if I've made him more vocal but it's easier with a baby as they should start understanding some words way before they say them. I'd just keep going at least another 6 months and see what progress he has made. Is his development fine in other ways as I found mine would either concentrate on trying to walk or trying to talk.

Do make sure you put your phone away, so no temptation to interact with that.
I'm not saying you do, but we live in an area for country walks and I'm saddened that parents no longer chit chat to their baby while they walk or point out the sheep/flowers/leaves/butterflies/birds/bird sounds as they are firmly glued to their phones and baby is in silence in a forward facing buggy so not even able to look at their parent. So sad

Focus on your child, talk to them about what you are doing and why, what you can see, what you will be doing later and what next etc., and involve your baby in it all leaving 'gaps' for a reply from baby, so ask what the next thing to happen will be (babble back) and say yes that's right, I'll take off your leggings and then take off your nappy and wipe your bum, then I tickle your tummy and then the clean nappy goes on. Leave gaps in the conversation for your baby to answer and encourage a two way thing of 'conversation' even if at first it is meaningless babble it will soon develop as baby will try to mimic what you say and learn to know what the 'word' is.

eg now what do I do before putting the clean nappy on (wait for babble) yes that's right I'll tickle your tummy and then put the clean nappy on.

By repeating the 'right' answer baby will soon get to know what you're asking a nd what the reply should be, and in time their babble will become a proper word/words - you can test them out in time by doing the 'wrong' thing, which they will find funny.

Over communication. Narrate what you're doing and emphasis words. If you do the baby word, do the real word too.
Read and read and read some more.
Still very young and usually children are physical or verbal and one will follow the other.
36+ is still fully baked so don't worry too much.
Also baby signing might be a good way to bridge the gap if you've not tried already.

It’s a shame that this has become an assumption the OP has done something wrong.

Generally speaking, parents worrying and fretting in this way are not the ones ignoring their child while they are sat on a screen.

Sounds fine to me OP. Eighteen months is when you’ll start to see a surge in understanding and communication, whether or not they are talking a lot at this point. FWIW, I’ve read extensively with mine, talked to them, shown them things and sang songs and so on, one is a very advanced talker and the other wasn’t (fine now.) They meet the milestone when they reach the milestone,

Definitely try to introduce some baby singing alongside the speech of the words on context. Watch Me tumble - he does makaton which is different but if you don’t have knowledge of signs it could help and the kids love to watch him.

My children attended baby singing classes from 3 months. At 6 months they were copying basic signs such as milk when I said and showed milk with the sign. My eldest didn’t speak til nearly 3 but at their 2 year check was passed as she had over 100 signs so no language worries. Interestingly she was diagnosed autistic at 10. She was brilliant at signing though and just wasn’t ready to speak too she could say sentences. Never had the baby babble with her. But at 3 she sounded like an old lady with some of the sentences she was saying - picked up from listening to mums in the park etc. my youngest also had over 100 signs by 12 months but she was also babbling more and saying more words and by her 2 year check had dropped the signs and was picking up spoken word.

14 months is very young. Use lots of visuals such as actual objects or pictures of them. Point at everything and make things. Exaggerate a lot. By 2 years you’ll have a check anyway and that’s when they really look for speech issues but you can bring it up sooner. They all develop at their own rates.

The baby is much too young for you to be worrying about this.

Do you mean signing or singing?

🤦‍♀️ I meant signing but my autocorrect kept changing. Apologies. Singing can also help though!! I’m a big advocate of singing and signing both!!

My son didn’t say a proper formed word till exactly 2 ( week of birthday) pure gabbling gooble de gook till then -he’s 27 now and has never shut up since- I was literally about to call the health visitor - his first words were a fully formed sentence - totally bizzare!

Baby signing helps a lot

At 13 months I really wouldn’t worry. Showing great understanding at that age I would consider rather unusual tbh. I know it’s tricky not to worry when you think I’ve spotted an issue but 13 months is still very little. At 18 months a few words is normally there for most, but that’s ages away for your baby 😊