How do I get my 20 month old son to talk?

Question

My son used to talk to us but now I cant get him to say much. How do I get him to tell me what he wants insted of cring all the time

Answer 1

i read/saw somewhere about a boy who was 2 and he used to talk and talk and then he had a lot of changes going on: his family moved to a new house, they had a new baby, and i think the family dog died?, anyway with all those life changes happening at once he developed Autism. so maybe you should go see a doctor if you're worried.

Answer 2

Anytime a child stops talking, it is a cause for concern. Your son may have a hearing problem, a health issue that is causing pain, autism. Autism is the first thing that comes to mind. Does your son make eye contact? Does he like to play with other people? Does he notice other children and mimic their play or want to join them? Does he seem really intelligent and extremely independent but his development seems a little delayed in things like following directions or listening to a story? If you can, take a video of him playing and going about his day to take with you and then head to the pediatrician's office. Ask for an assessment for autism among other things. If the doctor seems hesitant or doesn't know what to do, call the school district, they will help you for free. Some things you can do to help him find his voice are to remind him to use it and reward any words with lavish praise and soething special.
Good luck

Answer 3

A friend of mine had trouble with her son to get him to talk. She found that every time he tried or said something that she would praise him give me hugs to encourage him. She also would point things out and say the words for it and when he pointed at things or gave him things would say what they were and try to get him to say it back. He was slow at speaking so ahe also got some professional help in time and some work he caught up. He is now 10 and just fine. Good luck!

Answer 4

At this age (essentially he is 19 months), words do not have to be words. If he makes any sort of consistent sound for something, that counts as a word. For instance, at 18 months our girls said things like "ba!" when they wanted a ball. Even if it doesn't sound like the word at all, if he consistently makes the same sound when he wants something, that counts as a word. It's excellent that he has receptive language i.e. understands "bring me your cup". That means his hearing is working perfectly, and he has normal intelligence. : ) You are doing the right things by reading to him and talking to him and repeating words. When he goes with you around the house, get him involved in helping you do your chores. If you are doing laundry say, "Where is a sock? Can you hand me a sock? Let's put the sock in the washer." That will continue to build his receptive language. If he does need a speech therapist, no big deal, it could avoid a lot of frustration for him as the ideas in his head build - if his language doesn't keep pace, it can lead to a lot of frustration for him. Wishing you well!

Answer 5

Think back to when it started...were there any changes (in routine, in the household, in your relationship, etc)? Changes can trigger a reversion of speech and it can correct itself. Either way, I would take my child for a speech analysis especially at 20 months. Get a referral from your doc or ped to see a speech therapist and make sure you include that he has reverted from talking. Docs won't always refer unless they see a problem but you know you son better than they do so push for it. Good luck to you.

Answer 6

If he's 'crying all the time' have you had him checked by the doctor to see if there's anything wrong? Has anything upset or scared him that you should deal with.?
The only way to get a child to talk is through talking to him, playing with him, singing to him & reading to him and talking about the pictures. Ask questions about the pictures - anything related to the story. Like which trian do like best? or What do you think they'll do now? Hve fun with him.

Answer 7

i wouldn't be too worried. my son did not start to talk until he was 2 1/2 years old. he is now four and he never shuts up. try getting him to drink through a straw, it helps to develop the muscles in his mouth that he uses to form sounds. you could also spend your time giving a running commentary on what you are doing. the more people around him talk the better.

Answer 8

my son is 30 months old and doesnt talk. its frustrating he gets really upset. There is a program in my town for children under three called "early on" and it is a free speech therapy program my son has his first evaluation in a couple weeks. Maybe there is a program like that near you your pediatrician would have the phone number to it.

Answer 9

This is a concern when a child suddenly stops talking. Take him to the doctor and have him tested for Autism. Also, get his ears checked.Hopefully he is fine. Good luck

Answer 10

He'll say what he wants to say when he wants to say it. Until then, just make sure to keep talking to him. If he points and cries or makes those "unh unh" sounds (like my son does) just make it a point to point at the thing and say once or twice "do you want (to)...", and when you give him something, tell him what it is a couple of times (eg. that's your juice, yes, that's your juice" The more you talk to him, the more he'll really learn, and he'll repeat those things when he's ready.