I have my two-year-old son, who will be three years in September. He doesn’t talk very well, but he talks somewhat. I mean, he knows his colors, numbers 1-10. He knows my name is mommy and his dad and grandpa and grandma, and basically, he asks for what he wants, like if he is hungry or thirsty but just not in full sentences. Should I be worried about my son’s speech, or is he just a late talker? I go over animals and colors and read books with him almost every night, and I talk to him normally. The reason I’m a little worried is he has cousins who are close in age to him as well, and they talk much clearer than my son. My son still babbles a lot, and you can’t really understand what he says most of the time.
Does he go nursery? If not then I’d suggest taking him, my son hardly spoke until he started nursery and my god he doesn’t shut up now! Everyone got me worried about his speech(he was just a few months over 2), literally within months of being in nursery he sand his first song x
My daughter has always been a talker. She will be 3 in September and mostly speaks in full blown sentences. That being said our friends daughter will be 3 in August and only says mama and dada and other little sounds and babbles. And a friend of ours son turned 3 in April and is just now really starting to sing songs and talk more clearly. If I had any concern I would seek out a speech therapist to see if they think intervention is needed. Most likely his language will explode soon but there’s nothing wrong with using the resources available.
Look into birth to 3 if they have it in your state. It’s free. But I don’t think he has a problem. My daughter was a late talker and now she won’t shut up
Has his hearing been checked?
Does his cousins have older siblings? Because most kids who have older siblings talk sooner and better. And if you’re worried just take him to the pediatrician and force your concerns
My nephew didn’t say a word until he was 4 and he’s fine. All kids go about themselves at their own pace.
Are the cousins girls? I only ask because they say girls excel faster than boys. My son will be 3 in September as well and he has a little cousin 2 weeks younger and she’s more talkative than him and u can understand her better. But she also has a sister close in age. So they conversation daily to eachother which I think also helps excel her speech. All kids are different but it sounds like he’s on track and is where he needs to be.
My little girl did that and she’s five now and doing good just keep reading with him he’ll be ok
No. My son was delayed with talking to the point that his preschool and WIC wanted to put him in classes. But by about 3 1/2, he was talking just fine. Hasn’t ever been an issue since. He’s ahead in all of his classes and nobody can tell there was ever a “problem”.
My daughter had issues talking. We tried to take her to speech therapy but the insurance wouldn’t cover it. So i worked with her a lot. I had to listen very carefully to decipher what she was saying. She didn’t get more clear until 4 or 5. My son is 4 and speaks much more clearly than she did at that age but now she’s 7.5yrs old and is crazy smart and a great reader. It just took her a bit more time to get there.
He should be ok.
Work on ensuring he can see your mouth move as you speak. So, be close. He’ll get there.
My oldest was speech delayed, she said way less than your little. My younger 2 took on words and sentences much quicker watching and listening to her siblings
Have you had his hearing checked ? It’s also worth taking him to see a paediatrician if you don’t already. Then they can refer you to the appropriate services if needed.
My daughter is 2.5 and says sentences, but sometimes the words are mixed up. So we teach her to say them in the correct order.
But she talks like a trooper and understands almost everything.
She also loves to sing, so we put on nursery rhymes for her and she can sing most chorus’s to them in the perfect order.
There are alot of reasons kids can be delayed. Just because it is normal for one kid does not mean it’s normal for your kid. I wouldn’t stress over it, however I would talk to your pediatrician and even ask for hearing test. It’s easier to correct when they are younger if there is an issue.
My son didn’t start talking until almost 3. And he is 3.5 now and just started talking more in sentences. He had hearing problems and once that was fixed he started talking more.
My son was almost five before he really started talking. I kept harassing his pediatrician who kept saying he was fine. Turns out he was fine. He was only gonna talk when he felt like it. He’s 11 today…. Insightful and brilliant! He still just talks when he wants to. There are times though I can’t get him to shut up!
I’ll assume that you’ve had his hearing checked…
My friends doc told her to not do anything for her child. That the child dosent communicate he wants or needs…gently forcing communication
Is there a myofunctional therapist near you? I’d consider making an appointment. They can check for tongue ties and make proper referrals. It’s possible that there is a posterior tongue tie that’s undiagnosed.
Get a speech therapy assessment done
If your worried you can bring it up with your pediatrician. He might qualify for early intervention with a speech therapist or an OT.
Get a referral to a speech therapist and have him evaluated. At his age, your local school system probably has speech therapy services you can access for free. Your insurance company will not cover speech therapy.
I hate that the poster never replies to any comments or answer any questions readers have.
He only speaks when he needs something isn’t a bad trait to have. He will be fine
As long as you checked his hearing…he’s fine. Encourage and later require him to give you all full sentences of what he wants/needs. Stay gentle and rewarding. My son was the exact same way until we all started fulfilling needs after he spoke them fully. He’ll be great…its too many other things to worry about, take this light and easy! plus, he’s very intelligent…music will help with speech too!
My son is 26 months and has just started sentencing. He still had trouble with word. Everyone I know tells me to calm down and let him develop at his own Pace. He will talk when he’s ready just make sure you help him everyday. Make him repeats everything you say to him so he learns.
They all develop at their own rate. As difficult as it may be, do not compare your child’s milestones and accomplishments to those of other children his age. From what you described it seems like he’s on track and doing fine. I haven’t met a child yet who spoke perfectly from the start. It’s also not a good idea to correct them if they say something wrong. They may not have control over it. If he gives you a toy car and says something like, it’s a lellow tar, just say yes, it is a yellow car. He’ll be able to hear the way you pronounce it, as well as see the way your mouth forms the words. He won’t feel embarrassed for not saying it correctly, because you didn’t bring attention to it. If it’s a big concern, bring it up to your pediatrician. They can lead you in the right direction to get help in the event there’s a delay.
Get him assessed by a speech therapist. The sooner you start the better off he will be in kindergarten .
Nope my Nine year old did same and my Grandkids have done same . They all talk at their own pace.
My son will be 3 in October and just this past month he started to say new words and talk a little more. Give it time, some kids develop at their own time. His doctor send me to speech therapy but with covid all the appointments were canceled. I am seeing slow progress but he is getting better. Also my son is going to be bilingual, so i think that’s one of the reasons he is also taking his time on talking. But I know he will be okay.
My nephew didn’t talk till he was 3 1/2 and now he is a lawyer in Florida.
You should never compare him to other children. If he is not better by 4 then might need to do some follow up speech therapy. Make sure you are not talking for him. Put him in social situations with other children so he can learn from them, too. Speak properly to him & encourage proper response back. Encourage two phrase response, then 3, then 4 until he builds up to a complete sentence. Don’t pressure him. His language development might be a little slower than other areas of development. Read to him and he will probably catch on when he is ready. I taught kindergarten and preschool for over 40 yrs. and children usually blossom when they are ready!
YouTube has speech therapy shows for toddlers hope this helps
My son was that way. He got way better once he got into school. You can bring it up to your pediatrician tho. See if he/she may feel it’s worth a referral to see someone about it. Maybe see if there is a local mom’s group that does playdates or public outtings in your area and see if maybe a big group setting will help motivate him.
I started worrying about my sons speech when he was almost 2(he’s 3 now) and had him assessed. Missouri has a free assessment and speech therapy organization called Missouri first steps. He may not qualify for help through them due to them having to be a certain amount of months behind but they’ll tell you if he is or not. My son was 2 1/2 and was at less than an 18mo olds level so he qualified.
My son had speech therapy in preschool. They said if other students can’t understand what they are saying then they felt he needed intervention. By kindergarten he didn’t need speech anymore. Ask for an assessment, it couldn’t hurt.
My son is 3 in January and barely says a couple words. Your child is fine.
My youngest got his first teeth pretty late, then started talking a bit late, then one day he just started talking up a storm and hasn’t been quiet since . Every kid develops differently. Just ask your pediatrician if you are very concerned!
He’s two… I wouldn’t expect much from a 2 year old. They grow at their own pace. Mine is almost 3 and screams fuck .
My brother was almost 3 and just said a few words. Bam he started talking and never shut up. Be patient.
My sons delayed in talking and he’ll be 3 next month. He babbles alot and people cant understand what hes saying. He has a cousin whos close in age with him and she talks alot and more clearer than him. He just doesnt know how to put words into sentences.
Ask your pediatrician he may need speech therapy
All kids develop at different times. If you are concerned bring it up to his DR and she might refer you to a speech therapist.
Every child is different. He’ll talk when he is ready.
Kids develop differently. My one nephew will be 4 soon and has a speech therapist to help. Hell, I didn’t really start talking on my own until I was 5 and in kindergarten (my older siblings had a habit of talking for me even though my mom would tell them to knock it off. Yes, I was in speech therapy, too, because of it ).
Believe it or not, play with random toys or games with him. It may help some. Have him name the toy or figurines or whatever as you are playing (like if you’re playing with farm or zoo animal figures, have him name the animals).
My son just turned three and is on a waiting list. He says the basic words like mom, dad, sissy but pretty much babbles with everything else. If you are worried either talk to your kids pediatrician, call your insurance, or just do a quick search on google.
I went on the department of education’s website and got ahold of early intervention services. Our pediatrician kept pushing it off so I took it upon myself to get the screening done, but there was a 2 month waiting list because of covid.
I was the same way I was concerned in case my son had autism because he was showing the signs but I was told he is bright, very clever and advanced than his peers but just had a speech delay, so I got him help and now he is diagnosed with development language disorder (DLD) but he is still showing signs of Autism so I will get him assessed again later on and I was told you can’t force children to talk when they are not ready to talk themselves.
Talk to your pediatrician. My son had strep throat and ear infection a few times when he was around 1-3. He also had enlarged tonsils which did hurt his speech he had trouble with words that were formed from the back of the throat. He was almost 4 before they removed his tonsils and adenoids and put tubes in his ears. Then he had speech therepy until he was in the third grade. So if your son has had any infection of the ear it can delay speech. Most school systems offer early
Testing.
There nothing wrong with him hun. All kids pick up at different paces he will be just fine. X
My now 3 and a half year old got diagnosed non verbal and now talks advanced for his age. They progress in their own time when they are ready try not stress…child care should indicate to you if they notice any possible delays.
I wouldn’t worry, they tend to leave kids untill the start school, as they all do milestones in different stages! if they feel he needs work at that point he will get speech therapy, so don’t worry so much and never compare! My son didn’t walk, didn’t talk, hit school and been in all the top sets since he’s in year 8 of high school now and still in top sets! I had him at every specialist going, all concluded he was fine, just wanted to do it in his own time and he did! X
Talk to your doctor and see if they would recommend a referral to a speech therapist and/or Occupational therapist. They can do an assessment for you and see if he needs extra help.
My son’s been in speech therapy since he was two. So just over a year and there’s been great improvement.
All 3 of my boys has all been late with their speech. They are perfectly fine though. Nothing to worry about, they are top of their class now.
If your child is understanding things, and saying some words then i wouldnt worry.
Its always best to speak to a professional if your worried, to put your mind at rest. But i wouldnt worry or think to much into it. Every child is different.
Kids development comes when there ready. My son. Is 3 in 2 weeks and he dosnt say one word hes having speech therepy and he’s having other assessments. But i was told that hes babbling so he can speek like there’s nothing wrong with his voice. So at this stage just take it as he will speek when he’s ready. I now your worried but tryvand relax and well done for teaching him what be dose say
Speak to nursery and health visitor. Waiting lists for speech therapy are so long so the sooner you get him on one if he needs it the better. My son was speaking around the same as yours and he needed speech therapy. X
My one son started talking full sentences and potty trained at 1 and half and my other started at 4 and wasn’t potty trained till 4 but doesn’t pronounce his words fully still and he will be 5 in October. All kids are different and learn at their own pace I would not worry until closer to school age. Also practice with him when he asks for something show him how to use full sentences. Such as he says milk you say mommy can I have a glass of milk please and get it for him. Your doing great it sounds like for him only being 2.
I would definitely talk to your pediatrician from what I’ve heard all kids are different and develop differently. All three of mine we’re talkin early my first one started talkin super early and never shut up and my third is the same way he will be 3 end of September and has a very extensive vocabulary and does not stop talkin from the moment he wakes up till he goes to bed . However we have a friend whose son is 2 weeks older than him and sounds to be the same way as your little one.
My son had a speech issue when he was almost 2. My doctor was not concerned. I had him evaluated by the county. He a was speech delayed. And qualified for services. Then he was also seen by an ENT and they found fluid in his inner ear canal causing him to not hear properly. Once the fluid was gone his speech started to be normal and he never looked back
This a question for the doctor. My niece didn’t talk full sentences until 4. She’s now 7 and still not clear. My own 4 year old doesn’t talk but is deaf. I worked with kids age range from 6-11 and none of them talk… There’s so many factors in why a kid talks a way they do or don’t.
I babysat a 2 year old that didn’t speak very much, after a few months he was busting out full sentences. I’ve noticed a lot of kids either start with broken English or full blown sentences when they’re ready.
You can reach out for speech therapy evaluation if you’re concerned. My girl started at 3 years old because her speech wasn’t easy to understand to most strangers. If anything, they’ll do an evaluation and tell you what their findings are so you can be informed.
It wouldn’t hurt to have him evaluated by a speech therapist! Between my 11 nieces and nephews, 3 of them have gone to speech therapy and it helped sooooo much!!!
Every child does everything on their own timeline. I know its hard, but try not to compare to others. If it really bothers you, you can look into speech therapy, but he sounds normal to me
My almost 4 year old is the same way but he’s epileptic and his seizures when he was a baby caused the delays. There could an underlying issue with your child that needs to be looked into. Before you stress yourself out to much with worry, you should call his pediatrician and get an exam. If all test come out good then ask his pediatrician if he thinks maybe seeing a neurologist would help. All of our babies grow and progress at different ages and in different stages. It’s most likely that he is a perfectly healthy child but cover all your bases if you’re able to. It’s better to find out now if there is a problem developmentally than to find out years down the road when it might not be able to be reversed. One last thing, you might be putting to much in his little brain all at once and that would be overwhelming for him. No judgement! Promise! You are trying your best and that makes you a great mother!
He is two. If he was 5, I would say yes.
I have 4 children: 1 was reading and speaking full sentences at 2/3. One was a very late talker. 1 walked at 11 months, another at 16 months.
Now, are all very intelligent and where they are supposed to be or they were above and beyond milestones. One is a Chef, one a Cosmetologist, one becoming a CSI and another is going to be an automotive engineer/designer.
You have no worries momma.
My cousins oldest was the same way for a while, wouldn’t speak in full sentences and was hard to understand but once she turned 3 and her little sister started talking her speech improved tremendously
Talk with your pediatrician. Each child reaches milestones at different, self paced. Ask your Pediatrician if you’re concerned then you can formulate a care plan
If need be.
From personal experience, all 3 of my children talked in full sentences at different ages. My oldest started talking at 1 and never stopped… my middle is 3 and talks in broken sentences but talks a lot and im the main person that can understand her (she does have a disability that could be a reason why she is a late bloomer) but she didnt bloom until about 6 months ago. My youngest is almost 2 and can count to 10 and knows his ABCs but does not say much else. He says the occasional “quack quack” for a duck, “hiya” or the random baby babble. I think each child hits their milestones at different times. Speech therapy has taught me that some children dont pick up talking until 5 and thats okay, but once they start they wont stop
If you are concerned as the parent, definitely speak to your childs doctor about how youre feeling and what tips they have to help.
Kids have a wide range of what’s developmentally normal. My kids are all late talkers, my sons more than my daughter. I was very worried with my first son. We had him evaluated for ECI and he was barely under qualifying for speech. We read to him and went a lot if new places and used higher level vocabulary around him but didn’t push. He’s now 6.5 and very articulate with a huge vocabulary. It’s hard not to worry, I get it. Have him evaluated if you’re really worried, but from what you’re saying, I’d just give him a rich environment and space to blossom.
A two yo should not be expected to speak in sentences. Around two or more words is typical. Continue to read, sing songs, learn simple signs and challenge him when he only wants to gesture or say a few words. For example, if he’s pointing to milk or only uses one word, encourage him to “milk please, I want milk, or I want milk please”.
Don’t worry about it. They told me the same about my son and I took him to a specialist at our school district and they said that the doctors don’t know anything a child should be speaking at their time. If they are 1 year old should at least be saying one word phrases like mom, Dad or water. When they’re two they say two words like “mom hungry” and so on
I work at a daycare and I have noticed it really depends on the child. We have 3 two year olds that only have a few words and we have 3 two-three year olds include my daughter that speak in full sentences. About 2 1/2 was when it really took off for her. Just keep encouraging them to talk to you and keep reading to them! If by 3 they still aren’t talking you can talk to your pediatrician about a speech specialist that can help. I wouldn’t worry too much yet it’s pretty normal.
Boys tend to be slower in my experience anyways my 3 girls are super vocal and have been my son took longer. He’s 4 now and never shuts up and speaks great if you’re worried I’d talk to his pediatrician have his hearing checked too maybe they can refer a speech therapist
My son is 3 in November and is the same, although new words and the odd 2-3 word sentence now and then as a one off! I’ve raised my concerns to our HV and nursery and none of them are concerned. My HV keeps telling me his daughter ‘didn’t say a dicky bird’ until she was 3. Speak to HV if you are concerned. If they are hitting all of the other milestone targets they may refer to speech and language.
My son knows how to ask for what he wants without talking, I think he’s lazy with it tbh
I was anxious for a while about it as my older son is ASD and I was worried my youngest was going to be too, especially as my oldest sons had a severe speech delay but the HV has reassured me.
It sounds like you are doing everything right and the pandemic hasn’t helped really as they haven’t been able to socialise as they usually would. Give him a bit more time but if you are worried, seek a professional opinion x
I needed this, I always try to tell myself kids grow and learn at different paces, and remind myself my child is just a toddler, she knows everything but how to talk in a full sentence which doesn’t bother me because of the age but kinda make me worries because of other kids her age or close too are much clearer, again she didn’t much grow up in a environment where she can adjust and talk with other kids to improve her which I am doin now so that she can kinda of get the idea of conversation through kids her age she loves to play and interact
My son was the same way. I brought it up to his pediatrician, and she helped me request an evaluation. It did turn out that he had a slight delay (not that yours necessarily will), had services come to the house until he was 3, and then he was enrolled in an Early On program. The difference is incredible. He still struggles a little bit, but I think after another full year, he’ll be ready for actual preschool at 4. So, long story short, check with your ped, see about getting an evaluation, and know that if he does have a delay, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be handled to the best benefit. Best of luck!
My son is the same way, but now that he’s back in daycare full-time again after being laid off due to the pandemic, he’s improved a lot. He’s around other kids, but also my doctor told me it’s normal when his brother (who is 10) basically speaks for him. So now when my youngest wants a cookie for example and he used to reach for it and my 10 year old would get it for him, now we make him say it himself or no cookie, etc. If your son has an older sibling that could be it.
Many children just have speech delay. With the help of speech therapy, they can learn quickly. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your child. I know in some states, they send someone to your home to do speech therapy for them until they are 3, it is also completely free.
So always talk to you pcp but go with your gut feeling, my daughters pediatrician said she had no concerns as she was hitting the milestones but because i expressed my fears and concerns (same as yours) her pcp gave us the referral and we got her seen by a speech therapist and they said she had a 3-6 month speech delay which isn’t a big deal but that she could benefit from speech therapy and now she goes twice a week
Everything you described my daughter did. Never hurts to just take them and see
My son was the same way! Your son is fine, just keep up with what you’re doing. All children are different. Some take longer to form sentences. If he asks for something, teach him how to ask in a sentence
At 3 years old, they can be evaluated for free through the school system. Also receive free therapy, whatever kind is needed. Please look into having the child evaluated bc early intervention is key in this type of situation. You won’t know if he’s just a late talker until until he’s missed a lot of time he could have spent getting help. They found some hearing issues with high frequency hearing loss that fell outside the range of testing at birth. Your pediatrician can give you the info to get started at the age of 3. My younger son is 6 and has a severe speech impediment still, but they have worked wonders with him. Good luck!
Yes you can go doctor my daughter had someone come in home and work with her on speech she didn’t say one word tell after she was 2 and she just graduated speech in 6th grade so I would try get on ball
Boys are typically slower than girls. I actually had my son tested at 2 because he wasn’t really talking like I thot he should be. (First time mom lol) and he was fine! He knew colors groups and all that. And I’ll tell u when he did start talking he never shut up!! To this day
Check with your local school system. They should can check in with families and give support services. Also ask your pediatrician for opinions and resources in your area. Early supports are a great help.
Boys tend to be slower than girls. But from personal experience, my son was 2 and he could say just the normal words like momma, daddy, I love you, and all of that but not complete communication and didn’t try. He started biting at daycare and it got bad. He bit like 10x in 1 week. Daycare owner came to me and said she didn’t know what we were going to do and he may have to be removed from daycare. She sat down with him 1 on 1 and evaluated him and realized that was his way of communication. If a kid took a toy from him, he would bite instead of going to a teacher and saying he took my toy. She we were referred to speech therapist and I never had any problems after that.
Just keep doing what you are doing and practice trying new words. discuss it with their doctor and they will monitor it. My nephew was slow to start talking, he speaks well now with some things to try at home from their doctor.
just keep an eye on it and make your medical team aware of the concern and they will guide you from there
I have 4 children. My oldest was talking full sentences by 10 months. My 2nd son about 18 months. My 3rd son wasn’t talking until he was almost 3. He’ll be 4 next month and still babbles but has gotten better. And my daughter who is 2 still babbles a lot. Kids learn at their own pace. We did all the same things with each of them. Practicing letters, numbers, colors, shapes etc. everyone always made comments about my 3 yr olds speech. But he’s just a slower learner and that’s okay. Just keep practicing. I would say by 3/3 1/2 if he’s not changed or picking up more, then maybe talk with pediatrician if you’re concerned
It sounds to me like he’s on track for his age. I wouldnt be concerned about speech unless he is 3 1/2, 4yrs old still not progressing.
I’ve had 3 kids, they all talked at different ages.
My youngest son didn’t talk until about 6 months ago(he is 5) but he has Autism and there were other concerns such as he could not communicate his needs at all, couldnt say names, didnt meet milestones, physical and mental delays ect ect.
Your child sounds very smart! Just give him time to blossom.
I’m middle child was like this. She was put into speech first year of pre-k. She was in there a week and took off with her words. Just give it time. They all learn at thier own pace
My son turned 2 in April and he’s the same way. Boys are typically late bloomers. If you aren’t satisfied with his speech when he turns 3, his pediatrician can refer you guys to a speech therapist. As long as he’s trying and you are working with him, don’t worry mama.
Get his ears checked! I had a similar sotuation and she ended up needing tubes and adenoids removed. She couldnt hear clearly to be able to learn how to talk clearly.
I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s young yet. Try to work with him on it in the meantime. Have conversations, read to him, try to get him to repeat words. Mine is almost 2 and he says one word at a time. Sometimes he’ll sound out other words. When it comes to sentences, it’s all gibberish. Or random words. They’ll get the hang of it at their own pace.
My son is the same way everything u said I can relate get him check my son haves hypotonia, motor delay, and speech delay he sees speech therapy and physical therapy try and see if you can find an early intervention around your way that really helped my son alot he still babbles but he’s talking alot more …
I just went through this with my now 3.5 year old. I spoke with his Dr, and we discussed getting him speech therapy, which she agreed with. It took us a whole year to finally get a consult with an in network provider for speech, and he is now at his 3rd session. Your child might be like mine, and a lazy talker - knows a lot of words but doesn’t need to use them because we understand what they want and need without them asking verbally for it.
Try to see if you can get an evaluation, even to just turn the tap on to get him to start communicating more with him. Otherwise I’d say good job on teaching his vocabulary, and it will come with time. <3
All kids are different. My friend’s son didn’t talk till he was almost 4. My daughter spoke full sentences at a little over a year old. Don’t stress it momma. He will talk in his own time. Just keep working with him. U are doing great!!!
My son was the same. I put him in speech class it helped a little. It took him a while but his speech got better and now at 16 he doesn’t know when to be quiet. Just be patient with him.
Check with your pediatrician. Ask that the child starts speech therapy. It wouldn’t hurt the child to go to speech therapy.
Every child reaches milestones at different times. Is your pediatrician concerned? Kids speak at different times mama don’t worry too much. But if you are really concerned about it talk to your child’s pediatrician.