Speech milestones

[MsSassyBaskets]

Looking for everyone's range of experiences when it comes to toddlers hitting speech milestones. DD is 15 months and not yet saying any real words. She babbles a lot, using a variety of syllables, and she points and communicates in a variety of ways. She's social and responds to words that we use correctly - "where's your bunny?" (points to bunny) "Where's your elephant?" (points to elephant) "Can I have a kiss?" (basically licks my face) etc. She says "Dada" correctly, but it also means Mama, kitty, and any number of other things. She *might* be developing significant "toddler words" for other things, like when I say "DD, can you say 'kitty'?" she responds with "tee". (When I say "can you say Mama?" she says "Dada!" and then cackles at me...)

I don't feel like she's totally off-track, but we're starting to hit the edge of the supposed " normal " range for speech development. She was 5 weeks early, so there's that. Her 15 month appointment is this week so I'll ask about it, just wondering what everyone else's experiences are for their kids' speech development. I was apparently a late talker, so she may just be following in my footsteps.

[L.Jane]

It sounds like she is doing great. My little man (2 on saturday) is actually in speech therapy now because he can't make sounds he should be (including saying mama). Most speech people will say everyone talks in their own time and not to get concerned at all until they are closer to two. At his 18 month appt we thought he was totally on track. We are going through the county services. Apparently in all states their should be a county service that will evaluate your child for free and if needed give you free services. I am sure when you talk to your Dr, if they feel you need it, they will give you recommendations. Being that she was five weeks early and you were a late speaker, I would probably think that might be the issue more than anything else and she just needs time. My son also said Dada when I asked him to say Mama. He now says mama, but it sounds more like Bwama. Most people don't know he is saying mama.

[Thirteen]

Speech milestones

The CDC has great questionnaires, and making a ped appt. is always available.
Your local elementary school should have an eval program, like LJane said, that can screen kiddos as young as 18 months.

I had to call and explain what I was looking for, but it was straightforward after that.

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[alotofyarn]

My child is really abnormal and carries on conversations in full sentences at 2. She was a late walker though, so I think that's just her thing. It's definitely worth asking your pedi about though.

[Auspicious]

My youngest does speech therapy, but started after turning three. Her preschool teacher and pediatrician both independently brought it up in the same month, right around her third birthday. Ours is through the school district (even though she wasn't in school yet) and I believe I found the number to get the ball rolling on the district website.

[MrsC]

C only had a few words by his 18 month appointment, more by two. After that he really picked it up and talks in full sentences now at 2.5. Our pedi was never concerned because he understood everything we were saying and had his own words for things.

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[OrionGrad]

DS1 was on the same track as [MENTION=1139]MrsC[/MENTION]'s DS. I remember bringing it up with DH a few times but our ped was very laid back and said he wasn't concerned. It wasn't until DS1 was about 2.5 that his speech just took off and he's been a chatterbox ever since.
DS2 has started speaking a lot sooner. He's 19 months right now and he says too many words to count, and even strings multiple words together. Each kid is just different.

[scarlett09]

MSB, DD is doing all of the EXACT same things. She will be 16 months next week.

We worry a little here too, but we know she understands a lot. Simple directions, asking questions "where is...?", etc. It also seems like all of her words begin with "b" (except mama, lol).

Good to know its within the range of normal! Hang in there, MSB!


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[MsSassyBaskets]

Ok, it's just helpful to hear about the normal variation from kid to kid! We don't worry too much, but she has been consistently on the later end of normal for most motor and developmental milestones. Generally within the normal range though. Some of that may just be lingering impacts of her being a preemie. She seems very socially adept and seems to understand a lot, so I'm optimistic that some of her skills just need a little time to catch up. Discussing with her ped this week though.

[spotty_dog]

Our ped counted sign language as "words" before age two. I was hesitant about DS for a long time (he had almost exclusively nonsense words by age two) but he never truly fell outside the range of normal and never had any specific speech sounds that were delayed. Listen to your mama gut. I consulted with a speech therapist friend and with his pedis but never got concerned enough to go for private therapy, and at age 9 he is great (where many of his peers still have some lispy or other odd speech sounds.)

[L.Jane]

When I was first concerned the director at the preschool we were touring gave me some hand outs. This is the pamphlet for your LO's age range.20160405_205548.jpg20160405_205602.jpg

[SoonerTexan]

I can ask my SIL--she is a month away from earning her masters in speech path.

That being said, there totally is a range. My oldest was always way way ahead and we worried a little about Jason, but as soon as we would start worrying he's suddenly make huge strides and gain a ton of language. I'd say he was about what you are describing at 17 months and at 26 months there is almost nothing he doesn't say. A huge amount of that development happened in just the last month


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[oceanchild]

We also have a highly verbal 2-year-old, which we joke is unsurprising since his parents met at a speech and debate tournament.

This sounds like it's within the normal range to me, but I'd definitely go with what your pediatrician says.

[MsSassyBaskets]

So the ped didn't have any concerns at this point and said we could talk about it at 18 months if she seems delayed then.

She was bouncing back and forth between the two chairs in the exam room, throwing clothes on the floor and trying to put her pants on her head while babbling incessantly in nonsense syllables. Doc looked at her and said "yep, seems pretty developmentally normal."

[gem]

Glad your pediatrician put you at ease. I agree there is so much variation. My first-born gradually built vocabulary and sentence complexity consistent with milestones. My second child rarely said a word until he was almost two, then started speaking in complete paragraphs. Their literacy skills are following the same pattern. It's so interesting. I would love to learn more about how speech is acquired.