My son will be 2 in June and still doesnt talk....is something wrong?

Question

my son will be 2 in June and still doesnt talk good...He just learned to say mama a couple months ago...He only talks baby talk and can say just a couple of things. He is always throwing himself on the floor if he doesnt get his way and bangs his head on everything...he hits and throws things all the time.... He acts like he doesnt understand me when i talk to him..could something be seriously wrong with him or am i just overreacting?

He has alot of kids to help him but he still isnt talking...i have a 2 yr old daughter who is very intelligent ..we talk to him and work with him constantly and still no response

Answer 1

You need to get him tested in all aspects of development, in particular in how much he can communicate with others, and how much he can understand of what others say to him. You can ask his pediatrician to refer you to someone who can give him a comprehensive development test. Most states have a state-funded agency that can do it, if you can't afford a private therapist. They'll also work with you and any other caregivers to develop a plan of action and start therapy, should he need it.

It could just as easily be that he's not a big talker. Some kids aren't. I swear, I never heard my nephew say a word until after his third birthday. But in this case, I think it's best to get him tested. If there's nothing wrong, then you can at least know you checked into it. If there is a problem, you can start getting over it now and have the best chances for him to catch up to his peers by the time he starts school.

Also, ask for him to have a thorough hearing test. With my oldest son, he had ear infections often during his first two years, and he spoke a kind of garbled version of our language (we've termed it "Cameronese"). We knew he could hear, since if we called his name, he would turn around, and that kind of thing. However, when we finally got him to a pediatric ENT doctor, we discovered he had a partial hearing loss. Basically, what he heard was something like a person would hear if they were just below the surface under water. He got his adenoids out, tubes in his ears, and his ears drained, and his language skills perked up almost immediately. However, since we waited so long, he passed the point where it's easy for a child to develop language skills, and he's in speech therapy and still behind in his class (language-wise) to this day.

It's not normal for him to say hardly anything, particularly words like "Mama", "cookie", "bite", "nite-nite", and other common simple words. But that only means that he has something to work on, and it doesn't mean he won't catch up.

Get him to the doctor and bring this up as soon as possible. The sooner he gets help, the sooner he'll catch up.

Feel free to message me if you like. It's difficult being the parent of a child who is behind in any area of development, but speech development is a whole different monster all its own.

Answer 2

Mention it to your Dr at his 2 year checkup and they may have his hearing checked and have him evaluated for speech but more than likely, he is fine! My son is a year older than my daughter and she has always talked more than him since she was 11 months! I had him tested several times and they kept telling me he was fine and they all show interest at their own pace, girls usually talk sooner than boys and they also stressed to me that speech has nothing to do with intelligence! My son is in speech now for stuttering and is ahead in academics
As far as throwing himself on the floor - sounds like a temper tantrum. start time outs if you haven't already ( I started that at about 13 mnths) if you ask him to pick up his cup-does he? If he can follow a short command he can understand you and just needs some discipline. Be prepared the terrible twos are coming-just be firm and talk to your Dr at his 2 year checkup
also-I have seen many kids start talking alot at about 2 1/2!
good luck

Answer 3

i heard it takes boys longer to talk. my son is 22 months and says some things but throws fits when i cant understand most of what he is saying. my best friend has twins, just turned2. the girl talks like crazy, the boy never hardly says a word. ive seen some 2 year old girls lately that put my son to shame with talking. only time will tell

Answer 4

Sometimes boys develop slower than girls. My son is 2 1/2 and he didnt start talking until right after he turned 2. He didnt even say mama. But now he is almost making sentences. If you are worried, which my doctor told me not to be, you could always have his hearing tested. Just speak with your pediatrician and see what they say. Good luck to you!

Answer 5

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, this indicates to me that your son is experiencing difficulty with communication.

The behaviors you described sound like frustration to me. When a child can't communicate their wants/needs well to caregivers, then sometimes they cope in unacceptable ways, such as tantruming or throwing objects.

Depending on where you live, services may be available through a variety of sources. If you are in the USA, then you can receive services through Early Intervention, which serves kids from birth to age 3. Services are provided in you home and are on a sliding scale fee based on income. If your income is low enough, they are completely free. A hearing evaluation is usually standard as well.

Talk to you pediatrician about your concerns. It sounds as if your child is experiencing both expressive and receptive language delays. If he doesn't refer you, then you can refer yourself.

At the age of two, children should have a minimum of 100 words. They should be starting to put early word combinations together as well, such as "mama go" or "daddy bye". They should also be able to follow simple familiar requests like "get your shoes" or "bring me your cup".

Either way, it's best to get things checked out, the sooner, the better. It's much easier to correct delays when they are caught early.

Answer 6

With regard to the tantrum thing... keep him off chocolates or any sweets that use heavy coloring. It's bad news! Same goes for most processed foods which favour high-fructose corn syrup over sugar.

As for not talking, boys will typically be a little slower than girls to be communicating, but by 2 he should have a few words in his vocabulary. I think you should speak with your doctor during your next annual checkup if it is still a concern.

Answer 7

Keep in mind that I'm not a parent, but if I were I would be concerned. It could be that he's just not ready to speak. Albert Einstein didn't say anything for the first couple of years of his life. Maybe you should talk to his doctor about it. You'll want to make sure that they are empathetic to you and your worries and not patronizing or think you're paranoid. I know how first-time parents are, and I can only imagine how I will be! My first thought after reading your question was maybe some form of autism. Sorry, I don't mean to scare you.

Answer 8

You should address your concerns with your pediatrician. Every child talks at different rates but there are certain guidelines that make sure the child is developing speech and it seems like he would not fit those guidelines. He may have hearing problems, or even just waxy ears that prevent him from hearing correctly. Make an appointment, sooner rather than later, so you can start working on whatever his problem might be.

Answer 9

Nope aint nothing wrong... my son is 2 and talkin - but 3 of his cousins are only 2-3 weeks apart and they are not. I gues just read to him more - and if that doesnt work he is smarter then us and is goin to talk when he is ready.. trust me
other 1 year olds where walkin when mine wasn't they progress at their own rate - his cousins are content with just pointing and gruntin now ... ;P

Answer 10

My sisters little one was just like this. She had tubes put in her ears and the speech just came like it was always there. Turned out she was having a really hard time hearing us and the tubes cleared the problem up. She also had a lot of balance issues and they stopped when the tubes were put in.