What is the normal age for a child to begin speaking?

Question

One of my cousins is 2 and has not started talking yet. He doesn't even say words and I have never heard him make sounds. His parents have taken him to the doctor to be checked and there was nothing found to be wrong. However, I fear that his parents have a very set routine for their son which includes what time he eats, sleeps, goes for walks, what activities he does and what time he does all these things. They also feed him all feshly prepared meals of only vegetables, fruit and fresh meat. My cousin does not like being around other people and will cry if someone even looks at him who isn't his mum and dad. Are my aunty and uncle just doing a good job raising their first son and only son or are they spoiling him and causing him future social problems for the future?

Answer 1

Most of the below info comes from this site:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/speech.htm
This site has three really nice sections: (1) "What causes speech and language problems?" and (2) "How can I help my child with language development?" and (3) "Where can I find more information and support?" (Very nice site)

Here is some info from the "Milestones" section of the above page:

"If your child is not meeting these milestones, the first step is to get their hearing checked. Even if they seem to hear just fine, kids are experts at picking up visual cues to get by."
___12 months: Says 1-2 words; recognizes name; imitates familiar sounds; understands simple instructions
___18 months: Uses 5-20 words, including names
___Between 1 and 2 years: Says 2-word sentences; vocabulary is growing; waves goodbye; makes “sounds” of familiar animals; uses words (like “more”) to make wants known; understands “no”

Here's one other site that talks about what to do if your child is a late-bloomer:
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/Late-Blooming-or-Language-Problem.htm

I hope this helps. All my best to you. God bless you.

Answer 2

My mother told me that I didn't start speaking until I was four so that's within the normal range.
It sounds like the kid is on such a strict regimen that he knows what is coming next and has no incentive to ask about anything. Sooner or later he'll have a reason to say something and then he'll probably never shut up again.

Answer 3

Most pediatricians say 2 words by 22 months. Every child is different. Give him a little more time and suggest to the parents to get a second opinion especially if he dosen't make sounds. He should be doing atleast that by now.

Answer 4

Six months is the youngest age that any baby has been proven to show an understanding of the meaning of words. Cognitive speech would begin any point after that. Each develops at their own rate, but two years seems a little late. I recall my cousin reciting the alphabet before she was two.

Answer 5

Sounds to me like they're doing all the right things for their child. He has an excellent diet and if they're not physically abusing him, you should just stay out of it.
There's no "normal" when it comes to speech. Some kids barely say a thing until they're 4 or 5 years old and then you can't shut them up. Everyone is different.

Answer 6

Any normal child at the age of 2 years should be able to communicate, and since your cousin cannot communicate there must be a problem with him and your uncle and aunt are also contributing to his speaking problem since they dont expose him to other children/people which could also help in enhancing his speech problem. So try talking to them so that he could be more exposed to more people other than themselves. Good luck.

Answer 7

based from where i came from, the average age of a child to learn how to speak is between 1 - 2 years old. it also helps the child if the parent would talk to him in a normal manner (not "baby talk") and try to encourage the baby to imitate the sounds of the letters of the alphabet.

usually, the first word a baby could say would be "mama" because it is much easier to pronounce. (luckily, my daughter's first word is "papa")

Answer 8

Your cousin will develop at his own rate.

Let his parents do their thing. They need no interferrence right now, they need your support, and help more then your judgement.

Oh, and for God's sake do not call CPS- those people do not care about children's safety, they will remove your cousin first and put the little one in a foster home with people that do not care for six months before they even look at the facts.

Answer 9

In the superstore, fruits are usually chosen far too soon. Some are rocks, many are bitter. Some of the fresh vegetables are generally right (zucchini, onions, garlic, lettuce, greens, and a few others) so I'd have to go with vegetables.

Answer 10

It can vary quite a lot. Some kids do not want to start talking so you should never worry.