I have a 18 month old who just points and don't say anything, what should I do? Should he be talking more?

Question

He says mama and dada and eat

Answer 1

DON'T WORRY UNTIL HE IS 2 YEARS OLD, ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT. AT 24 MONTHS OR 2 YEARS OLD THEY SHOULD BE PUTTING 2 WORD UTTERANCES TOGETHER. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR WITH YOUR CONCERN AT HIS 2 YR OLD CHECK UP AND HE SOULD BE ABLE TO DIRECT YOU TO HAVE YOUR SON TESTED BY A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST. I HAVE 3 SONS, 15, 11, AND 3. THEY ALL HAVE OR HAD SPEECH SERVICES.

Answer 2

My state has a program called Early Intervention. Ask your pediatrician about it. You can have your child evaluated by specialists for free and they will tell you if he is delayed enough for therapy. In our case, a speech therapist comes to our house once a week to work with our daughter. You'll get a lot of people telling you to leave it alone and your son will learn to talk when he learns. This is probably true. However, if the resource exists and you can take advantage of it, isn't it better to correct the problem now when he's young instead of waiting until he's three or four and the problem has turned into a really big deal? With our daughter, we expect her language will be caught up before she starts school, thus no stigma of being the slow one in the class who doesn't talk as well as the other kids. Good luck!

Answer 3

If you're sure you child can talk (has no hearing or developmental problems), then he doesn't talk only because he doesn't have to. If he can get everything he wants by pointing, why waste the energy?

My youngest sister did nothing but point and say "gung gung" until we began to pretend not to understand her when she was about 3 years old. Lo and behold, all of a sudden she could use full sentences! Unfortunately, after realizing how much talking could accomplish, she never shut up! Famine to feast in just a week or so.

Determine what your youngster is pointing at and know what else is in the vicinity before you respond to him. Then, don't look where he's pointing, but at him, and ask him what he wants by referring to the other things in the vicinity. If he's shaking his head no to the other things, then he has no hearing problem - he's probably just being lazy. If he knows what the other things are called, then he knows what he wants is called also. Don't frustrate him unduly, though. After a few wrong items, get to the right one and let him confirm that's what he wants.

Try to get him to say its name before you give it to him. Don't say "You want this?" but say "You want a cookie? Are you sure you want a cookie? Okay, here's a cookie. Can you say cookie?" It may not work at first, but give it to him anyway. This is not punishment therapy. When he finally says "cookie" make sure you give it to him right away and be really enthused about him saying it!! There has to be some benefit to asking for things rather than pointing to them.

If you avoid looking where he's pointing (and he's likely to try to phsyically turn you around to look, including trying to twist your head off your shoulders!), you are forcing him to use other methods to communicate - like talking!!

Make sure the rest of the family does this too or he will simply stop asking you for things and go to someone else. Good luck!

Answer 4

All children come along differently. My daughter didn't talk until she was two. She used to say mama dada and bubu but then she quit. And didn't say anything. Of course just like you i wondered if there was something wrong. And i took her to the dr, then ear specialist, and hearing screenings, and speech therapists and all that.

But she was fine. Nothing was wrong with her. She started talking and now she won't shut up.

Answer 5

He's still little!!! All children develop at different levels, and just because he isn't talking much doesn't mean that something is wrong with him,espically since he is only 18 months old. Is he in daycare or around other children, especially older, talking children on a daily basis? Children in daycare tend to talk at a younger age because they hear other children talking every day. And he is saying the basic, beginner words, so I wouldn't be too alarmed right now.

Answer 6

MY son is the same age, he has speech apraxia, but your sounds fine he is talking just not a ton. If he tries to imatate mouth movements with or without sound he his great. My sons speech pathologist recomends 2 hours not contious of eye to eye play, witch is how your baby will learn. If he points to a red mathbox car. Don't fully describe it it is confusing for a lil one, rather say car or red. If he imatates a question w/ a huh or eh when he brings you something answer with a short responce well pronouncited & at eye leval so he can see your mouth movements. Good Luck, I am sure he is perfect, but if you are trully consirned call your local intermidate school district (the public schools whom help special needs children) throught the US they are required to give a full hearing & speech evaluation for any child under 3yrs. If he does need some help it will all be free & you will be a part of his treatment. God Bless

Answer 7

boys and girls progress at different stages, only you know if something is not all the way right with his talking, I heard all the time that some kids wait till their three then talk all the time, I knew my son wasn't progressing, my son is now turning two this month, and just got diagnosed with Apraxia.. So if you feel like he should be farther along bring it up to your doctor and even if they don't think he's old enough yet to worry, they at least have it on file that you have concerns so when he does get older they are aware that it has been a concern of yours from the beg..

Answer 8

Babies talk at different ages. I have always heard that the baby who talks sooner will walk later and vice versa. It must be true, because my oldest walked at nine months but had a speech delay. I babysat a child that did not really talk (beyond momma) until she was almost two. Some kids tend to talk later if they have older siblings or if the parents give them waht they want without them asking. If you give him what he wants when he points, he is more likely to keep doing. If he points at a cookie for exampl, respond by saying oh you want the cookie. Repeat cookie as you give it to him so he realizes there is a word for it. Good Luck.

Answer 9

He should be talking more, but only a little bit. Are you talking for him? Are you giving him what he wants when he points? Make him say the word or he doesn't get it. Trust me, he will say it if you make him. Also, when he mumbles and babbles, do not say, "oh really" or " is that so?" like you understand him. If he thinks you understand his own language, then he won't use yours. If you are still worried, you can talk to his doctor about getting hm in a progam that has speech therapy.

Answer 10

Okay i have a son who just turned 3 and i can understand your worries.My daughters carried on i swear a wonderful conversation by age 2.My son is total opposite.He just now within the past 2 weeks is finally starting to talk.Do not be worried and think something is wrong with your son.I took my son to a speech therapist and she told me that he probably doesn't need to speak because you speak for him.If he points to things do not give it to him,tell him what it is then have him try to say it with you,then give it to him. I'm sure he will be fine.Don't forget boys are slower then girls,that's what i always tell my husband when he worries about our sons speech.It helps lighten the moment...

Answer 11

Please have your child see a ear nose and throat specialist. My son was just 2 when they found a lump on the back of his throat that was pushing his tonsils forward and closing off his airway. He is now a very healthy 11 year old and driving mom nuts. My best friend just went threw something very similar and now her 3 year old talks up a storm. I don't want to worry you but it is better to spend the time talking to a doctor than the ambulance ride like I went threw.