https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:31:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850682 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:34:17 +0000 blackbird 1850682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mae only "milk" but honestly, i think she uses it for "want". That's the only word I've gotten to stick. I keep trying to teach her "Cheese". But if i hold my arms out for a hug, she'll give me a hug. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850671 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:29:14 +0000 Mae 1850671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I can't remember, does E sign at all? My friend's doctor recommended EI for her son because he had no words at 18 month appointment, but he did sign and had good receptive language. she decided he was fine and now at 25 months he talks a ton and hardly signs anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850634 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:09:26 +0000 blackbird 1850634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's good to see there are some other kids are late talkers and end up catching up quick. She was so quick to pick up everything else, I'm sort of surprised, mostly. But my MIL was telling me that DH took so long to talk and didn't interact the way he was expected to, that some people actually thought he was mentally handicapped. So. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850476 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:04:03 +0000 Ginabean3 1850476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 18 months and only knows: mama, dada, bye bye, uh oh, no, ok, hi. I think she can understand a lot more (receptive language) but her expressive just isn't that good. We've already seen a speech pathologist for a consult and we will be starting speech therapy. However, the SP did not seem worried....he says she totally has the capacity and capability....we (as parents) need to change our behavior to give her the opportunity to use and learn words. Example.....making her say something when she wants something instead of just giving in to whining, etc. it's hard though! I feel like sometimes I over anticipate her needs and don't give her a chance to try to use her words.....and why should she say anything if mom or dad is just giving her stuff? </p> <p>LO was also a preemie and hit all of her other milestones late so far.</p> <p>Additionally, I'm trying to speak to her in mandarin as well....really want her to learn two languages and the SP said that sometimes it takes kids a little longer to pick up when they are hearing two languages. (But to keep doing it because it's great and in the long run it will be worth it! :-)) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850450 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:52:25 +0000 edelweiss 1850450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my son is 19.5 months, and doesn't have a ton of words. at his 18-month appointment, he had under 10. the pediatrician said he was on the lower end of the curve, but didn't seem terribly concerned because he seemed to be developing fine and his receptive language was okay (not great, but fun). i asked for the early intervention number, but the pediatrician wasn't insisting on it or anything. i didn't end up calling because: (1) we were moving; (2) i'll take it more seriously at the 2-year appointment if he hasn't had a language explosion; and (3) making the appointment and going through it all seems stressful to me. i am less stressed just letting it be, but i know that's a personal preference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850360 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:05:58 +0000 cheesehead 1850360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: My son is 1.5 too, and doesn't really have any words either yet, although he can identify animals in all of his books and follow directions well. All we really get out of him is a few animal sounds, or his version of them when we ask "what does the cow say". No repeating anything either... At our 15 month appt, our Dr. said he wasn't really concerned with speech until they hit 2 years old. But I'm going to bring it up again at his 18mo. appt coming up soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850300 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:26:12 +0000 birdofafeather 1850300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: found it! <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-get-an-ei-evaluation-in-this-situation#post-1800061" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-get-an-ei-evaluation-in-this-situation#post-1800061</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850299 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:24:44 +0000 autumnlove 1850299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO didn't have a lot of words (less than 10) until she was 20 months old. Her language really picked up at age 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850298 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:24:26 +0000 birdofafeather 1850298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD had a crazy amount of language growth from 18 - 19 months. she went from maybe 4 words and not repeating us to repeating everything and having over 30 words. i was going to discuss it at a concern at her 18 month appt, but it got delayed a month and by then, she had certainly caught up to normal! my ped has previously said, that they check in at 18 months and then by 2, but the language explosions typically happen between 18 months and 2.5 years.</p> <p>there was a post about this a month ago and someone chimed in with what they look for as a speech therapist. i'll see if i can find it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850290 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:19:20 +0000 Adira 1850290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I don't have any advice about the number of words, but Xander has been on a "mama" strike for a couple months now. He used to say "mama" all the time, but now doesn't at all. And for a while, he used to babble with "ba" sounds and then suddenly stopped, but his pediatrician said it's normal for them to drop sounds for a while, so I'm guessing that's what happened with "mama."</p> <p>Hope you get some good advice and/or reassurance at your 18 month appointment. &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850289 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:18:56 +0000 cmomma17 1850289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: 50 words seems crazy high! I'm always amazed at how different pediatricians are. Ours definitely did not give us a checklist, that sounds like a lot of pressure. At our 16 month check up last week he wasn't looking for specific words or a # of words, he only wanted to know if LO could follow directions. And your LO seems to be doing great with that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850283 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:16:17 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1850283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i have many friends whose kids had no words at 18 months and went on to be normal talkers (word explosion a couple months later, or even after 2). </p> <p>good receptive language is a good sign, but if at 18 months he doesn't have any words, you can definitely look into early intervention. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850281 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:14:32 +0000 NavyRN2012 1850281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is 18 months, and says less than 10 words. And mama is not one of the words she says. Our ped wasn't worried, because she can understand what we're saying, and follows commands well. She just asked us to pay close attention to her language development over the next couple of months, and if she isn't gaining any new words, we'll be referred to a speech pathologist. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850269 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:08:35 +0000 blackbird 1850269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ha, well, 10 words is still about 10x more than she says :wink: I also think she's being a bum--I'll ask her to say "mama" and she grins at me like a maniac. It's just so unusual-nearly 1.5 years old and doesn't say mama/dad! Wtf?! I don't think there's anything wrong with her, but I wouldn't mind accelerating the process a little, either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850266 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:07:32 +0000 mrsjyw 1850266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our pediatrician doesn't like using a word count because it varies so much from child to child. He said from appt to appt (So every 3 months starting at 12 months) that he's looking for growth verbally. DS was slower to talk, but at 21 months, he talks a ton and is learning a ton of new words. At 17 months he was only saying a handful of words regularly.</p> <p>I would schedule an appt for evaluation if you're really concerned. I hope you find resolve soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850256 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:01:38 +0000 Ree723 1850256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 was exactly the same - up until about 21 months, she had virtually zero intelligible words she used consistently but had a whole language entirely of her own devising; however, she understood an incredible amount of what we would say to her and could follow two and three step directions perfectly. I know in the US, there would have been a big push to get her into EI, but in Australia, they said they aren't fussed about language until they get past their second birthday or there is a very evident problem (ie if she wasn't showing any sign of being able to understand what we were saying in addition to not speaking any words). </p> <p>Just before her second birthday, DD started learning new words overnight. In the span of a few weeks, she went from really having maybe two or three intelligible words, to having hundreds. I tried to do a word count at 25 months for her but stopped counting once we hit 100 and that wasn't even close to all she could say. Now at 26 months, she easily has expanded her vocabulary by another 100 words at least, and she is speaking in 3 word sentences consistently, four word sentences frequently. She was just a late bloomer and I'm so glad I listened to my mummy gut and didn't push for all these services. *not saying EI services are bad, they're certainly not, but I just trusted my instinct that there was nothing wrong with DD.</p> <p>Trust your gut, if you feel her receptive language skills are good and you think it is more a personality thing, then just relax. I know it's so hard not to compare to other kids, but really, they all are going to do things in their own time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850253 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:00:11 +0000 Mamaof2 1850253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD only had 10 words at 18 months and the ped wanted 20 - she sent us to EI.</p> <p>They came out at 20 months and she still had only 20 words but they weren't concerned and thought she was just a little slow.</p> <p>She was making the correct sounds: ma, pa, da, ba and that was a good sign that words would follow - she started talking at 2.5 yrs </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850233 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:40:52 +0000 petunia354 1850233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS just had his 18 apt at 2o months, and our Ped said it was fine/normal that DS only has about 10 words....she was more interested in his receptive language. </p> <p>Definitely discuss at your 18 month appointment though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850227 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:34:19 +0000 looch 1850227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had an evaluation at around that age, my primary concern was that my son wasn't adding new words and sounds at a good rate. I didn't keep track of words, though.</p> <p>The results of that eval were that they didn't see any signs of a delay, but they would offer us services if we wanted them. We ended up relocating, but I have my son in private speech therapy now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850222 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:32:31 +0000 Smurfette 1850222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our pedi said that she would like 15-20 words by 18 months, other then mama and dada. </p> <p>I would get an EI evaluation done. I am sure she is fine but if it makes you feel better, then what is the harm? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850214 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:27:41 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1850214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Some words, yes. But our 18 month checklist only asks if they say 8 in addition to mama and dada. 50 is a ton!</p> <p>You could always have an EI evaluation done. I think in most states the evaluation is free and they can give you a better idea. I was concerned at 12 months because lo wasn't talking at all and a lot of checklists have that as a red flag, but my ped wasn't worried so we decided to wait it out for a little while. He eventually started catching up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/late-talker#post-1850211 Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:21:06 +0000 blackbird 1850211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E is 17 months today and doesn't really say words. She will shake her head and go "uh-uh" for no. Sometimes she will say "uh oh". She understands a lot, though, like if I tell her to grab something, she will grab it, or shut the fridge, or bring me a book, or wash her belly....she doesn't say mama or dada. We have this big list from the pediatrician and she doesn't say any of them. Aren't most 18 month olds supposed to have about 50 words? Or even just say "mama" or 'dada"? Oye. </p> <p>Any late talkers? I'm wondering what to expect if she, indeed, not speaking anymore in 3-4 weeks. </p>