Toddler speech at 2 years old

maybaby0529 · December 2014

My son just turned 2 and only says Mama & Dada he is trying to say words not successful yet. He communicates mainly,non verbal. What's the latest your toddler started talking and everything was fine??

NoeliaV · December 2014

What does your pedi say?
Does he babble or have a few words that you understand, even if not perfectly clear?

BabyList · December 2014

Our friends have a two year old who only said a few words around 2 years and 4 months. She had a speech eval and they said she was right on track. Talk to your pedi if you are concerned. I've heard that if your child can get their needs/wants met non-verbally, sometimes they are slower to talk. I've know some people that have bad difficulty after using baby sign language. Good luck!

sassypants2010 · December 2014

My son has a slightly more broad vocabulary. I got help from a home visiting speech therapist that helps him and I learn ways to broaden it his vocabulary and work on communication skills. I have a program called up to 3, but I think that is a Utah thing.

CYBURRCHIC · December 2014

My DS is in the last few weeks expanding his vocabulary rapidly, but at 2 wasn't saying that much. He is in daycare 5 days a week and think that helps a lot.

luvindanimals · December 2014

Definitely talk with your pedi. I know if my sons vocabulary didn't start increasing by age 2 we were going to discuss speech for him. He seems to be catching up now though. Speech is typically something very easy to work on. The earlier you start the better. Good luck!

enjoylife · December 2014

My first son had maybe 5-6 verbal words and over twenty signs so my pedi wasn't concerned and he started with more verbal after he turned two,but didn't string more than 2-3 words until close to age 3. My second son has more verbal words and sentencing and just a few signs but I think it's because he hears big brother talk nonstop. Every kid is different but bring it up with the pedi, at this age most speech evals and interventions are free I believe.

honeybunches101 · December 2014

My DS only had a handful of words when he turned 2. At our pediatrician's suggestion, I scheduled a hearing test and evaluation for services through our county. He was delayed enough that we started working with a therapist for attention issues and speech. He has improved leaps and bounds! I am sure he would have caught up some without early intervention, but if there was something I could do to help, of course I was going to do it! Not to scare you, but delayed speech was my friend's son only symptom and he ended up being diagnosed with autism. They got a ton of intervention for him and he is doing awesome now. I hope he catches up soon, but there's no harm in getting an evaluation just in case.

Frogger5 · December 2014

Yes, talk to the pediatrician if you like, but you don't really have to. You should Google "child find" and whatever city/county you live in, call a number you find, and ask about a birth to three speech referral (I guess you could get the number from the pedi, but no need to make a special appointment or wait on it until the next time). Birth to three services are federally mandated and available to everyone. The speech therapist would come to your house if your kid is eligible, and like some PPs said a lot of the therapist's job is teaching you techniques to enhance language learning. This is all if you're in the US, though, I don't know the system other places. Good luck!

veggiemo · December 2014

My son is 26 months and is struggling with speech. I had him evaluated but he didn't qualify as behind enough to receive therapy. I worry about it constantly, so I understand how you feel. He struggles everyday with it and I hate it. Everyone will tell you not to worry and it will "happen overnight". Listen to your inner mom. Get the evaluation, your pedi can refer you and it's free. It can't hurt and it will make you feel better. As others have said, the earlier you might catch any delays, the easier it is for the child to overcome them.

holliberry28 · December 2014

If your son has words that he's trying to pronounce (tar/car, gig/pig) you can count those as words in his expressive vocabulary.

Also, how is his comprehension? Does he follow 2 step directions? (Get the diaper and bring it to me,) does he point?

A lot of boys especially can be late talkers, but even those words he's trying to say count.

If he's showing frustration over an inability to communicate, then I'd definitely get him an early intervention evaluation. That's from birth to 3 and it's free (in New York at least). PM if you have any specific questions, I'm a speech pathologist.

erbear84 · December 2014

My niece (who will be six in a few weeks) has been receiving speech services since she was three. She was extremely delayed and had a ton of deficits and qualified for free speech services through the state. She carried an IEP with her to Kindergarten this year and still gets services - probably better ones - in school. She is flourishing right now! There's no way to truly tell, though, unless you bring it up with your pedi. I *think* early intervention services are free in most states.

maybaby0529 · December 2014

Yeah his pedi suggested speech therapy im in texas and she said sometimes it's free and sometimes it's not.. I can't afford alot extra right now.. I want his speech to get better before the baby is here so he can understand more. He babbles sometimes. His dad was a late talker.

kimmarie1105 · December 2014

How is his comprehension?

maybaby0529 · December 2014

His comprehension is fine. He seems on track with everything but speech.

kimmarie1105 · December 2014

Comprehension is very important. If it makes you uncomfortable than try to seek out an affordable speech therapist to help him along. Otherwise, if your pedi isn't concerned than you shouldn't worry much.

ohiodoxiemama08 · December 2014

I would definitely look into referrals for speech/development evaluations. In Ohio, early interventions (typically before age 3) are covered under the "Help Me Grow" program. You can even get a speech therapist to come to your home for free. Do a little research, there may be a program like that in Texas. It never hurts to investigate your options and be an advocate for your child. Good luck!

Trampslikeus · December 2014

With less than 10 words expressively at 24 months I would pursue an early intervention eval. Depending on how old your pedi is, you may hear the "wait and see" line, but an eval can't hurt anything and if you're concerned it should get checked out. The later a problem gets spotted, if there is one, the longer it takes to get caught up. Also make sure he's had his hearing checked recently, that'll be the first thing an slp will ask for.

(I'm a pedi slp, feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions)

willowprincess · December 2014

At this point, receptive speech is more important than expressive speech, so his comprehension is a good sign. You also say he uses non-verbal communication which is another good sign. When I'm evaluating a child for language, those are 2 of the first things I look at.

Also, know that animal sounds count as words. Names he has for people count. And any sound he consistently makes for a word (eg, la-la for cup) still counts as a word.

That said, being evaluated never hurts. You may find out he's totally fine and get peace of mind. You may find out he needs services and you get a game plan. Win-win.

P.s., my DS1 didn't say his first word until he was over 2. He now talks up a storm in complex sentences.

sordidvolition · December 2014

Some great advice here! Just wanted to throw in that I'm also a pedi SLP and I'm in tx. I recommend getting your lo evaluated. Eci services in tx are on a sliding scale based on income but the evaluation is free to you. You can also look at your insurance to see what, if any, therapy is covered and what you'd pay out of pocket.

taboullio84 · December 2014

I never went through this.. But maybe ask your pediatrician about it. If he/she thinks your little one needs help maybe can point you in the right direction. I do know it's better to catch it early and work on it. Most kids catch up rather quickly.

nicnnatesmom · December 2014

I'm also in Texas. My DS2 was almost two when we had him evaluated by ECI. (Early childhood intervention) and he spent 6 months working with a speech therapist. He's 9 now and you'd never know that at 2 yrs old he couldn't even say momma. Now if I could get him to stop talking my ear off we would be good. :P

Schnurette · December 2014

Check with your pedi but it's probably fine. Our DD was walking and running and had amazing hand eye coordination (hello doing up her own zipper) but was barely speaking at all - not even babbling - and now she won't shut up. (She's 2 1/2 now.)

It's amazing how quickly it happens. I feel like one day she wasn't saying anything and all of a sudden she can tell us pretty much anything she wants. We don't always understand it but she's working on it.

"Mama I want go paid"
"you want to get paid?"
"NO MAMA GO PAID - CISMAS PAID"
"oooooh you want to go to the parade"
"Yeah!"

mamabearMoni · December 2014

My little brother didn't say a word until he was 3. No "mama" or "Dada." My mom was really worried about him so she got him checked out and the pediatrician said that he'd talk when he was ready. Then one day he just started talking in complete sentences without any trouble. He's a smart kid (now 14yrs.) So I agree with pp's, ask the doctor and if he says he's fine then don't sweat it

best of luck to ya!

Trampslikeus · December 2014

The "he'll talk when he's ready" mentality is old, outdated, and not backed by evidence. 50% of late talkers require intervention to catch up with their peers. Intervening before age 3 improves those outcomes substantially. Waiting until 4 results in below avg testing in kindergarten for 50% of speech delayed kiddos. Expressive language delays at age 5 are associated with impaired vocab acquisition and literacy skills.

Only an SLP can tell you if "everything will be fine". It's a huuuuge pet peeve of mine when people who are only using personal anecdotes tell parents their kids don't need speech evals.

veggiemo · December 2014

Trampslikeus said:

The "he'll talk when he's ready" mentality is old, outdated, and not backed by evidence. 50% of late talkers require intervention to catch up with their peers. Intervening before age 3 improves those outcomes substantially. Waiting until 4 results in below avg testing in kindergarten for 50% of speech delayed kiddos. Expressive language delays at age 5 are associated with impaired vocab acquisition and literacy skills. Only an SLP can tell you if "everything will be fine". It's a huuuuge pet peeve of mine when people who are only using personal anecdotes tell parents their kids don't need speech evals.

THANK YOU!!!! I am so sick and tired of hearing that phrase or some variation of it. Ask the experts. There is absolutely nothing negative that can come out of getting an evaluation.

sordidvolition · December 2014

Trampslikeus said:

The "he'll talk when he's ready" mentality is old, outdated, and not backed by evidence. 50% of late talkers require intervention to catch up with their peers. Intervening before age 3 improves those outcomes substantially. Waiting until 4 results in below avg testing in kindergarten for 50% of speech delayed kiddos. Expressive language delays at age 5 are associated with impaired vocab acquisition and literacy skills. Only an SLP can tell you if "everything will be fine". It's a huuuuge pet peeve of mine when people who are only using personal anecdotes tell parents their kids don't need speech evals.

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