toddler language development

[houseelf]

How many words should my 16 month old be using? My last baby was a TALKER and constructed entire monologues by the time she was two. I think she might have distorted my perspective. My current guy says Daddy, Mommy, his brother's name, and some derivative of his sister's name. He has signed about three signs, nods yes, no, waves high, and claps when he sees others clapping. His hearing seems to be fine because he dances to music and looks right at us and screams if we say 'no' before proceeding to do whatever he wants to do anyway. He definitely is more into movement than talking. Nonetheless, he definitely is a later talker than my other kids.

Also, what do you count as words? If they have ever said a word, does it count or do they have to be using it all the time. He has said hi, book, and ball but doesn't use them consistently. Thoughts? Advice?

[SuzySunshine]

Kelly, when we had concerns about A they told us to keep a piece of paper on the kitchen counter and write down everything she said. Even if we were the only ones that could understand her or knew what she meant. Signs count to, so if he's signing 3 things and says 5 things then his total is 8. And they also said they didn't have to repeat them, if they said it once it counted. At that age they're learning so much that they may use it once and then not use it again for months but they know it.

I was also told that I could expect Robert to talk less and later because he is the second child and the older child will talk for him a lot. I know there is a gap between your #2 and #3 but I would still think it would hold true.

Also when we made the list we were amazed at how much she was really saying that we would forget about when we were trying to tell someone how much she was talking.

[L.Jane]

I know my sister didn't talk until the age of two because she wasn't sure of herself. Then when she did talk, it was in full sentences. Each child talks at different rates. I am not an expert, nor do I have kids, but I just wanted to share that story and send thoughts of support. I am sure he will talking your ear off before you know it.

[Michele]

My brother in law didn't talk until he was 3. He only grunted. He's a rather normal 35yo now. . His mom was a kindergarten teacher....and all obsessive about teaching...she seriously has a constant dialogue when caring for my nephew (6m)..."look at the blue car in your right hand". "yes the blue car". "you are holding it with your right hand". My BIL didn't need to talk, between her and his older brother all his needs were met before he needed to express them.

FWIW I think D had a similar vocabulary and similar usage at 16 months.


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[HouseofWool]

It sounds okay to me Kelly. S didn't talk much until the last month or so (she is now 21 months). Before that, she had momma, uh-huh and a couple of names. Caleb spoke early and fairly clearly (as far as I recall) and Sophie seemed so delayed. Then one day, it was like someone turned on the tap. Granted, a stranger, or even my sister, can't understand her, but I can.

[spotty_dog]

If I recall, Eddy's pediatrician wanted him to have 5 words -- nonsense words, signs, mama and dada all counted as long as I understood what he meant -- by one year. Eddy had a lot of signs but barely made it for spoken words. By 2 years he needed I think 20 words, half of them intelligible by other people, including at least one two-word sentence. He *barely* met these criteria, but he did. (His sister, by contrast, is speaking in 3-word sentences and using multiple-syllable words and picking up new vocabulary daily. Their pediatrician says if she were my firstborn I'd have thought Eddy was...mentally challenged. )

Somebody has to be on the trailing end of the normal segment of the bell curve. You can be slower than others and still be totally, 100%, normal. Your pediatrician can help you to evaluate whether it's time to pursue further options, but my mama instinct always told me that he'd use more words when he was ready, and two pediatricians plus my husband plus a speech therapist friend have confirmed this. Now that he's 3 and in preschool, he's improving by leaps and bounds and having fun doing it.

[diggitydot]

Our DS has an expressive-receptive language delay/disorder. He didn't have anywhere near that many words by 16 months.

[migirl]

Honestly, that sounds pretty normal to me for that age. But then, my older kids were late talkers (and now my oldest does.not.stop talking! ).

[Chrisada]

How many words should my 16 month old be using? My last baby was a TALKER and constructed entire monologues by the time she was two. I think she might have distorted my perspective. My current guy says Daddy, Mommy, his brother's name, and some derivative of his sister's name. He has signed about three signs, nods yes, no, waves high, and claps when he sees others clapping. His hearing seems to be fine because he dances to music and looks right at us and screams if we say 'no' before proceeding to do whatever he wants to do anyway. He definitely is more into movement than talking. Nonetheless, he definitely is a later talker than my other kids.

Also, what do you count as words? If they have ever said a word, does it count or do they have to be using it all the time. He has said hi, book, and ball but doesn't use them consistently. Thoughts? Advice?

This sounds exactly like me! By the time our first was 18 months he could say his ABC's and was using sentences. P is now 18 months and barely talks, but instead likes to grunt a lot. I think it stands out so much for us because the first one was such an early talker. The pediatrician wasn't worried about it.

[houseelf]

Thanks so much for all the advice and encouragement. I do think he is normal, it is just he is vastly different from my DD.

Their pediatrician says if she were my firstborn I'd have thought Eddy was...mentally challenged. )

This is so true! /tangent ahead/ I know that we should never compare children, but it is human nature to categorize. I read a really interesting book on Economics this summer, The Black Swan, which talked about our almost primal drive to label and categorize everything because our ancestors had to make quick black and white decisions in order to survive. Now, however, this instinct has profound and sometimes negative ramifications. Obviously this book spoke about linear curves, statistics, and the economy, but I think the premise is directly applicable to life.

In our case, our large age gap between our three kids ensures a bit of needed protection from, dare I say it, us and our natural drive to categorize. DD did everything MUCH earlier than my boys. She walked, talked, read, grew earlier at every stage of the game. If she was even a year or two closer to my oldest, she would have caught up and their would have been an awkwardness and an unfairness. In my heart, I know that they are all individuals and deserve the utmost respect for who they are but in practice it is hard not to notice their differences//end tangent

I do think that he is fine, I just needed you all to reaffirm that each kid is different. Thank you.

Also, not that I obsess or anything , but I did manage to get him to say "baa" when he saw a sheep this weekend.

Oh, God, please protect my children from me.

[alison]

I think he's on the right track.

You crack me up, Kelly! Protect your kid from you! Hahahaha

Dd says mama and dada and that is it! She says it to everything and anything, and it has nothing to do with the actual people themselves.... She does understand commands in both English and German, so my hope is that one of these days, she'll go from nothing to quoting Wittgenstein out of the blue. One can hope!

He'll get there!

[ides]

Sounds pretty normal to me. Oscar has an expressive delay. At 18 months he was only saying mama, dada and not always with meaning. Our ped said to get him evaluated and not to wait. We did and we were told that he would be a late talker but was ahead of the game on receptive language. They said speach therapy would benefit him but since he was only delayed in expressive and nothing else he didn't qualify and we can't afford a speach therapist on our own. He is coming along and now at a month over two years he says mama, dada (with meaning), up, down, yeah, hi, and moon. Moon is a bit fuzzy and sounds more like boom and hi sounds like ha. Oh yeah he also goes ssh for fish. I know he will get there but it's hard waiting and nerve wracking too.