speech delays

Hearing your child speak his first clear words is one of motherhood’s most precious milestones. But what happens when he's approaching age two or three and the words have not yet come? Is this normal? Should you be concerned?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that “Most toddlers master at least fifty spoken words by the end of the second year and can put two words together to form a short sentence." But the Academy also states that if your child doesn't fit this pattern, it isn't necessarily a reason to assume something's wrong: “There are differences among children. Even among those with normal hearing and intelligence, some don’t talk much during the second year."

Postings in various Circle of Moms communities made by moms of toddlers demonstrate that there are indeed vast differences in language development among children in this age range:

At one end of the spectrum are Jenee R.'s 22 month-old, who "uses (the word) 'hot' for everything;" Jeannie W.'s 2 year-old, who understands everything she says to him but "refuses to talk. I think he has about 10-12 words;" and Rhiannon T.'s daughter, who "can only say 'mom, dada, and my personal favorite: 'NONONO'."

At the other end of the spectrum, Melanie B. says that "My two-year-old is bilingual (her dad is Italian) and chatters easily in both languages. She had a vocabulary of about 50 words in each language by 18 months old." And Beth J. says, "My daughter never shuts up!!! She describes everything, she talks to herself when she is playing in her room. There are many times I have to go and look in her room to make sure she is still by herself!"

One mom with a slow-to-talk toddler, Brandi H., says reassuringly that a bit of time is the trick: "My older boy had a hard time with talking until he was about 26 months. He only said 'mama,' 'dada,' 'baba,' 'baby,' and 'Lulu.' Now he's three and his doctor is impressed at how well he talks for his age. I also have a 16-month old boy who already has a 12-word vocabulary and has already said his first sentence. So it really depends on the child."

Moms whose children experience language delays encourage others facing the same dilemma to not worry, but to also seek professional advice.

"I would bring it up with your pediatrician if you are worried," advises Amy G. Her son Kyan did not speak at 24 months of age. She took him to a speech therapist who diagnosed him with childhood apraxia of speech. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assocation, it is a disorder in which "the brain has problems planning to move the body parts — for example, the lips, jaw, and tongue — needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words."

She knew something was wrong, but others told her that his older brother was doing the talking for him, which is not unheard of when an older sibling who can talk is in the picture.

But Amy G. went with her instincts: "It wasn't until I listened to that voice inside my head that we actually got him the help he needs," she admits.

Her proactive approach is what the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests when a parent suspect language delay in their toddler. According to the Academy, one in every ten children has trouble with language comprehension and/or speech.

"Early detection and identification of language delay or hearing impairment is critically important, so treatment can begin before the problem interferes with learning in other areas," the Academy states.

As Nina C. shares, following through with a speech therapist can net quick results for a child trying to gain language: "My 21-month old boy was only saying two words. We got him tested with a speech therapist and he is (indeed) a late talker. We were given some simple exercises to encourage his speech and it has worked," she says. "Within one week, he was using eight words and now he is using around 12 words. Learning more every day."

Image Source: linh.ngan via Flickr/Creative Commons

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Got a kid who's slow to talk or read? Language-based learning disabilities affect 15-20 percent of the population and are a commonly-discussed topic here on Circle of Moms, where moms frequently swap ideas for helping kids who struggle with writing, reading, speaking and spelling. Here we’ve rounded up some of their words of wisdom:

1. Learn the Difference between "Disorder" and "Delay"

A language-based learning disorder is not the same as a language delay. As Geralyn C. shares, a child with a language-based learning disorder processes information in a different way than others, and “requires direct 1:1 speech-language therapy by a highly qualified speech-language therapist.” Important to note: a language disorder does not indicate low intelligence. In fact, according the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASLHA) “most people diagnosed with learning disabilities have average to superior intelligence.”

2. Watch for Common Signs

My eldest daughter has dyslexia,” shared Morag S. “I knew around 4 that she was. She never understood her letters, she'd get the alphabet all mixed up... anything that involved letters just eluded her completely.” If your preschooler is simply writing her letters backwards, Circle of Moms members stressed that you probably don’t have anything to worry about—memorizing letter shapes correctly takes some time. But watch for other common signs of language-based learning disabilities, including difficulties with expressing ideas with age-appropriate vocabulary, learning new vocabulary, properly pronouncing words, identifying which sounds and letters correspond, following directions, and telling left from right. (Note: The ASLHA website has a full list of common symptoms.)

3. Get Professionals Involved ASAP

“Early intervention is the key,” emphasizes Sharalyn S. If you suspect your child has a language-based learning disorder, have a speech-language pathologist (SLP) evaluate her speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities as soon as possible.

Similarly, Geralyn C. strongly suggested trying to identify the disorder before age seven: “The window for developing language is birth to 7 years. That is NOT to say that you cannot make a difference after 7 but I am a huge advocate for early intervention during those critical years.”

As Charlotte M. shared, an added benefit to early intervention is that you'll feel more in control: “I have found that getting an accurate diagnosis and developing a good therapy plan helped me to feel better about my daughters' numerous diagnoses. Information is power!”

4. Combine Therapy and At-Home Work

Circle of Moms members like Terra K., whose two boys both had language-based difficulties, encourage communicating with your child’s speech-language therapist about what they’re working on with your child: “If you and the teacher are on the same page, and she is getting constant reminders at both home and school, she will pick up on it much faster."

5. Be an Advocate for Your Child

You are your child’s best advocate. As Andrea D. counseled: “Remember to be proactive and not reactive when dealing with your child's education. Don't listen to teachers who have a wait-and-see attitude. You know your child, and you will be the best advocate. Also constantly let her know that people learn in different ways and no way is better than the other.”

Lots of moms like to think out loud and Jo Aaron is one of them. In her latest post, she looks at the lighter side of sending a child through developmental therapy.

Did you know that 1 in 3 kids are in some form of therapy. Well you shouldn't because I totally made that statistic up (anyone, anyone?), but if you spend as much time around kids and parents as I do, you will probably agree...these days, everyone's doing it!

And my oldest is definitely not an exception. If anything, our craziness about saturating his short little life with endless hours of speech and occupational therapy has made him the unofficial poster child for EI.

I've found, by speaking to countless parents in waiting room after waiting room, that developmental therapy is just like infant hiccups in that it seems to be harder on the adults than it is on the kids. My little guy has no idea that his new "school" is actually a speech group or that the "babysitter" that comes to our house to play is really an experienced S&L therapist.

However, I, like many other folks, spend sleepless nights praying for clear speech and worry constantly about what his delay might mean for his future. Will the other kids make fun of him? Will people understand him if he needs something? And how in the hell am I going to potty train a little one who can't tell me he has to go?

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