This is our middle child – #3 (we have 4 total).  He is a very active boy.  He is curious and very vocal as well.  The only thing is that he doesn’t say too many words yet and the words he does say don’t always make much sense.

He does say :

“Dada”

“Mama”

“Nana” – which, to him, means anything edible

“Eeeah” – his sister Leeah

His main form of communication is pointing and making this “Godfather” grunting noise.   He sounds like an old man.  LOL

I constantly try to practice sounding out words with him, and he is really not interested.  Every once in a while he will repeat something, but it is immediately forgotten and he goes back to being a playful boy.

At our last pediatrician appointment, the doctor showed concern that he was not up to the level that children his age should be at with talking.  He should be saying 25 words, not 5.  But for some reason, I don’t feel this sense of urgency to get my child help right now.  Is this wrong?  I have heard of children not talking at all at his age, but my son is so vocal.  He has no trouble there.

I did speak with the principal at my oldest son’s school and she gave me the # for a speech therapist.  I am totally open to this, but I would really like to wait a few months to see if he progresses.  If he doesn’t progress, then I will definitely set up an appointment and get him checked out.

So, what is normal speech for a toddler?  I found this great quiz on www.speechforkids.com

TODDLER TALKING QUIZ

21 months (Yes No)

• My child uses at least 25 words

• He/ she uses at least 5 of different consonant sounds in his/ her words, like m, n, b, d, and g

• My child copies words that I say

• My child can point to some body parts when I ask him/ her to

• He/ she can play by pretending to feed dolls or stuffed animals

24 months (Yes No)

• My child uses at least 50 words

• He/ she can combine words together, like “want bottle” or “mommy go outside”

• My child can point to pictures in books when I name them, and will listen to simple stories

• My child is interested in other children. He likes to watch other children and play with them rather than being alone

• He/ she can follow a 2 part direction like, “Get your shoes and put them by the door”

If you have checked “No” for one or more of the items above, your child may be at risk for language, learning or reading problems later.

Here are some helpful resources that will help you determine if your child is in need of help with their speech development.

• BabyCenter.com – What are the indications that my toddler needs a speech therapist?

• SpeechForKids.com – Speech Therapy For Children: Tips & Resources for Parents and Speech Therapists

• KidsHealth.org – Understanding Delayed Speech and Language Development

I will definitely keep you posted on how things go.  I am also open to any of your advice or suggestions as well.  Thanks so much!