at what age should a child start to talk?

Question

he is 17mnths and not even trying to talk,he is walking,climbing and every thing else,his sister has autism and she does not talk at all even though she"s 4 years old,we were wondering if he could be copying off his sister not talking........

Answer 1

when a child is ready they will let you know,i would not worry about him at the moment but if he gets to the age of 2 and still is not talking then i would ask your health visitor good luck

Answer 2

It could have something to do with his sister, often a younger child is influenced by older siblings. However, every child develops differently. I am still waiting for my 13 month old to crawl but he talks well. Seems like your son is just going to be the opposite. If he is not even making word-like sounds soon, you could possibly think about taking him to a speech therapist but I think it is most likely just that he is more interested in moving than talking. You have to remember that small people have so much to learn, they can't all do everything at the "right" time.

My first child was a little slower in speech because basically, I would do everything for him and instinctively knew what he wanted so he had no need to talk so much. He is 6 and has excellent speech now.

Answer 3

Usually 1 -2 years old but all children are different. Does he babble and show an understanding of commands and words from you? If so dont worry he is showing an awareness and is probably just not ready yet. Children learn words and practice to themselves before they begin to speak so this awareness shows they are making a start. If he is pretty silent and doesnt seem to understand what you ask of him most of the time then maybe you should have him checked out to be on the safe side, if there is a problem then early intervention is best. Best luck xx
Nursery Nurse 11 years.

Answer 4

There is no "set" age at which a child should start talking. If he doesn't "have" to talk he won't. My husband didn't talk until he was almost 4. He is the youngest of 5 and with so many older siblings everyone seemed to anticipate what he wanted so the need to talk wasn't there.
Give him time and don't panic. He'll talk when he gets ready.

Answer 5

At 9 months my son started saying his first words- mommy, daddy and no. Are you reading to your son for at least 20 minutes per day, singing to him, using language while dressing, playing or feeding him? BTW, infants and toddlers learn best through nursery rhymes and music. Music is great for the brain.You have to expose him to a lot of language. Take advantage of every opportunity to communicate with him, mimic his language. Is he trying to talk but you just don't understand what he's saying? For example, Your son says "ba" while he's pointing to a ball and you say "Oh, ball! you want the ball?" Use a lot of enthusiasm even when he's trying to get the words out but is not enunciating. Give him a lot of praise for every effort he makes. Don't plunk him in front of the television. Television, including "educational tv" does nothing for kids at this age. He doesn't need it. He needs a live body; one who makes eye contact with him, is at his level. I wouldn't send him to a speech therapist yet until you've tried other strategies first. It's too soon to assume he is autistic. As you know autism is usually a combination of several factors, not just one.

Answer 6

He could well be copyin her. My daughter spoke from 6 months, but didnt even try and move before 15 months. My friend's son moved just like yours but never spoke a word until after his 4th birthday, no one could find a problem, one day while eating breakfast with his father, he came out with "Daddy, this is awfully good Marmalade, don't you think?". If he sees his older sister, and therefore role model not talking, he may well think that snall people just don't, and bigger people just do. By all means get him checked out, but I seriously recommend doing a Makaton sign language course, as it is a way of communication your daughter may take to, babies can learn it, it is easy to learn and encourages language. Also, if your daughter ever has to attend a school for children with special educational needs, she will probably have to learn it anyway.

Answer 7

it is possible that he is copying his sister after all she must have her own way of communicating what she wants ( well i hope for your sake she does) he will see that and possibly not feel the need to talk

i have a child with autisim and my younger son tends to copy her negative behaviour

having said this however you should talk to your health visitor and doctor and ask (insisit if need be) that he be refered to a peadiatrian so he can be checked to make sure there is nothing wrong (inc possible hearing problems)
this should be done asap so that if there is a problem he can get treatment as early as possible and if there is nothing wrong you can put your mind at rest

in the mean time try to get him to mums and toddlers (if you arent doing so already) try to get him mixing with as many children around his age as possible this will show him that kids his age talk or at least try to

it may also just be that he is one of the children who is slow to talk

good luck

Answer 8

My husband was 2 before he spoke. He has a PhD.

A lot depends on family and community. My younger daughter was slow to talk as she found she could click her fingers and point - her brother and sister would get her what she wanted. We had to make her ask for things. Then she spoke in prefect English no baby words - ever.

Does your son make any noises? Does he listen and respond to you?

If you are worried (and obvioulsy you are) take him along to the doctor and ask for an evaluation. Trust your instincts.

Answer 9

Don't worry about age...my daughter seemed comparatively slow compared to other children of the same age. My doctor told me some children say only 10 or so words but understand ten times that, others say 30 words but those are the only 30 words they know and understand.

Answer 10

10 to 11 months

Answer 11

Between 12 and 18 months,