how can i help my 2year old son to learn to speak /?

Answer 1

Some boys are a bit delayed in verbal ability but for some it could be a sign of a problem. Couldn't hurt to have him evaluated by specialists through your local school system (ChildFind) if you're really concerned about his lack of speech.

In the meantime, give him as many words as possible. Build his vocabulary in his mind so he has the words when he begins to speak. Label everything, talk to him constantly about everything you're doing, limit his TV time unless it's something like Sesame Street or other educational show and even then, not more than an hour or two a day.

Sing songs... give rhythm to words... sometimes it sinks in better for children if it's rhythmic. Say funny words that make him laugh... things like "My little poodle, Cockadoodle ate a plate of chicken noodles" and then tickle his tummy a bit. Find his "silly words" and use them like a game.

Constant chatter... "We're going to the store today. Do you like going to the store? We're going to get dressed... put on our pants and then our shirt and then our socks and our shoes. Then we're going to get in the car and make sure we buckle up tight so we're safe in our seat belt and car seat. Then we'll drive and drive on the road that will take us to the store. What should we buy at the store? Maybe we'll buy some milk and some fruit at the store..."

You get the drift. Constant input of vocabulary... giving him practical speech. Talk about the weather, the family, feelings that you see him showing (like frustration, mad, angry, happy, hungry, thirsty, sleepy) so he has words to label his feelings. This will help to prevent meltdowns from him not being able to express himself.

One final suggestion: Start learning and using sign language. For some children, having a visual cue as well as a verbal one, is enough to trigger their speech. In the meantime, until his speech is caught up to age-appropriate level, he can learn a way to express his needs and wants and this will also help to reduce tantruming at not being able to say what he wants. Using sign language will not be a substitute for speech... it will be an addition to it, so don't worry if he starts signing that he won't ever talk :)

Answer 2

First thing to do is make sure there is nothing physically stopping him from speaking. If you've already taken him to your pediatrician and had him checked out (hearing, etc.) AND the doctor wasn't worried about it, then the next thing to do is relax. My (now 6yo) son started talking late, too (almost 3 years old) and now we can't get him to quiet down.

As long as the doctor isn't concerned, you shouldn't be either. While many kids learn to talk AROUND age two, the actual distribution is rather large (my older son was using complete sentences before he was 3). Give it another 6 months - if he's still not making progress, take him to an audiologist.

In the meantime, keep talking and reading to him.

Answer 3

Is he a normal little boy without hearing loss?

Are you talking about hearing simple words or do you want him to give a public address to the nation? The latter will take YEARS of K through 12 training to prepare! (just teasing....)

Be patient. 2 years is very YOUNG. He is still very much a baby. He will speak when he is ready.

Don't be anxious about it. And don't try to force him to speak.

Show things to him and carefully enunciate the word to tell him what you hold. But don't push for him to talk.

Just talk to him all of the time. Communication is learned by watching, listening, and later doing.

My youngest did not speak very much until he was 3 and didn't speak well until he was 8. He had development issues that were brought on by medication. But you would NEVER know it now. At 15 he is just as normal as anyone else his age.

Stay calm, be happy, smile and talk. YOU do all of the talking and watch him learn!!!

Answer 4

As a mother of 3 and an aunt of many. My first question is...have you had his hearing checked. This could be the first step.. Some children who even have slight difficulty in hearing sometimes take longer to speak.

Another solution may be that you're so in tuned with his signals. such as his pointing or grunting, you automatically pick up on these things and give him what he wants. He in turn doesn't need to speak. I would try making him ask for everything for a week or so and if you get no response then I would have a peditrician take a look at the hearing.

Answer 5

I think it starts earlier. When you are pregnant you talk to them normally and from the second they are out you talk to them in a normal voice every day all day long my kids were talkers. By 2 the were talking better than most 5 year olds. With very large vocabularies. Words that shocked other people that not only did they know the word but how to use it and what it meant. I always explain a word they don't understand and what it means and even how to pronounce if they are having a problem. Also can u tell I am a talker! LOL : )

Answer 6

my son did the same thing at that age. He is now three and a half and I can't get him to be quiet. My mother in law actually to me to have him tested. I waited because he did not have a hearing problem and spoke a little. Then one day I saw him looking at his reflection in the window and saying " My name is ....". That is when I realized that he did not want to speak until he was sure he was saing it correctly. Now he is comfortable with speaking and does it constantly. If you are sure his hearing is OK and everything else seems to be on track then don't worry about it. If you are worried talk to you Pediatrician. I would not punish him for not talking or try to push him into it either. Keep talking to him and eventually he will talk back.

Answer 7

I am anticipating this answer as I am faced with the same delima. I have a two year old son who i am having tested for hearing loss and autism. As he should be not only speaking but speaking in three word sentences by now. I am have some testing done by the children's mercy Hospital here and I plan to ask what I need to do to help him start speaking and communicating to myself and others,

Answer 8

I have a son that is 2ys 4 months old now and hav gone through a lot of worrying about not talking yet, granted we speak 3 languages in our home. It turned out that he had a cow milk allergy that was really affecting him (digestion, skin and the protein was accumulating in his brain as a toxin so he could not learn.) I got him tested for allergies and took out of his diet everyhting that he was even slightly allergic to. Thank God after being on a diet for 2 weeks, my son changed completely, felt so well, and is trying to speak in all 3 languages now!! But of course, he is much behind in speech than any of his peers because he was affected by this food allergy for 10 months but with the help of a speech therapist, and my support we will get there... My therapist gave me similar advice to the ones given to you by:thegirl, moegan and draga. So please listen to them. All the best to you.

Answer 9

Hi: I would try using flash cards and go through them very quickly. Try about 25 at a time. Take him to a doctor to ensure that there are not any other reasons why he is not speaking a lot.

Watch videos with him and read book and talk about the pictures.
You will notice a difference in a month.

Answer 10

What is he currently able to say? Some children take longer to learn to speak properly because they have higher IQs and their brains are trying to process it all. They usually tend to start speaking whole sentences when they do finally speak. My little cousin grunted until the age of 3.5, which didn['t hurt him any-he's now at Notre Dame finishing his Bachelor's Degree (on time).

It also depends on how many langauges are spoken at home. Bilingual and multilingual children take longer to process what they hear. It's not bad for them though, in fact, it's better for them.

Talk to your child constantly, play games, sing children songs to (and with) him. When he responds, be enthusiastic. Don't worry, grammar will come later. He'll catch on when he's ready.