my little girl is almost 2 and doesn't really say anything?

Question

only water, hi, bye, mama, papa.
it's this normal?? im kind of worried, thanks

Answer 1

1. How many languages is she exposed to on a daily basis?

If it's more than one, than it's definitely normal, and your daughter will soon catch up with and exceed her peers verbally.

2. How many siblings does your child have?

If she has atleast one older sibling, it is rather common for younger siblings to talk later. This doesn't say anything about their intelligence, only their personalities. I know because this happened to my brother and we had to get it explained. ;) He didn't say a word until he was about 3. We were worried, but it turned out he had been practicing talking in his room at night, because he didn't want to sound like a baby in front of his two oldest sisters. ;) The doctor said that's actually pretty common.

3. Even without any of the above conditions, I wouldn't be too worried yet. You need to mention it to a doctor, because she might want to get tested because a learning disorder caught earlier has a much better chance of being treated. However, this is no guarantee that there is a learning disorder. While 24 months is usually a time of extraordinary growth linguistically, the lack of that is not a definite indicator of a problem. I would talk to the child's pediatrician. Also take into account the child's development in other areas. If all development is slowed, there is a greater possibility that there is a problem.

Good luck. :)

Added: I just read people saying that it may be a sign of autism. While this is true, that's like saying sneezing may be a sign of bronchitis. Yes, or a cold...or too much dust...etc. Don't read "autism" into this. There are many other more convincing signs of autism, and the fact that your child is speaking AT ALL would make me question autism unless she is a highly functioning autistic.

Answer 2

Greater than 60% of 2 year-olds have an expressive vocabulary of at least 50 words and are beginning to use 2-word utterances. Your daughter is around 4 months slower than the so-called "average" child her age. She should be saying a new word every day, or every other day. If she still doesn't use 2-word utterances by the time she is 30 months old, it is time for a speech therapy evaluation. Get her hearing checked now, as lots of toddlers have fluid behind the eardrum which can muffle the hearing, thus delaying the onset of speech. There are other reasons, too, and a speech pathologist can determine what these other reasons may be.

Answer 3

It's a little slow, but children don't grow normally. They'll move ahead in one area while the other one slows down and then they'll make a big leap.

The only real problems that slow speech might, repeat might, indicate are poor hearing or low intelligence. My second child was slow to speak and, although I wasn't worried, my FIL was. I knew Jesse could hear because I could whisper "ice cream" at one end of the house and he'd reach me before my lips closed. I knew he wasn't retarded because he responded to things that were said and could go to places or do complicated (for a toddler things) if asked.

Try a couple of simple tests on your daughter. Take her to the kitchen and ask if that's where she brushes her teeth. At the grocery, ask if this is a place to take off her clothes. Do the ice cream test. If she "passes" great. If not, you have other specific concerns to take to the doctor, who hears from parents worried about slow speech all the time.

BTW, Jesse went from a 3-word vocabulary (Mama, Dada, and NO) to speaking in two-word phrases in about 8 weeks so he caught up just fine.

Answer 4

Children at this age should be able to speak in phrases and use basic sentence structure. There are many ways to increase her vocabulary. Read books with her EVERY DAY! Encourage her to repeat words and respond to you during reading time by asking basic questions like: "What is the doggy doing?" or "Is the boy sitting or standing?" Line up a few of her favorite toys, point to each, and have her say what each toy is. Small activities like these can help her bloom quickly. If you feel that there may be an underlying developmental problem, let her pediatrician know about your concerns. They can refer you to your local Child Development Organization where you can have your child tested.

Answer 5

Hi,
I would check with your school district regarding having some testing done through early childhood special education. In most states, if you request testing in writing, they must follow through. Usually they are HAPPY to do it, since they would like to catch any special needs as early as possible so that all children get services they need to be properly prepared for kindergarten. You could just have a late bloomer, but you also could be looking at something on the autism spectrum or a language disorder. Good luck!

Answer 6

I would definitely talk to your daughter's doctor about this! Developmentally she should be able to speak in sentences by now. I kept a chart of all the words my daughter could say, maybe if you start writing them all down, you will see that she is actually saying more than you think, and maybe she just needs to practice punctuation, you may not know that she is saying a word when she is trying. By the time my daughter was 18 months she had over 200 words in her vocabulary, 5-10 words seems like it would be reason to have her tested by her doctor.

Answer 7

We talked constantly to all our kids when they were growing up. All three were easily making sentences by two, but I know other kids who weren't. We never made a point to force the kids to say anything. We just talked to them constantly. We did not baby talk to them. We talked conversationally and explained stuff the same way we would to anyone else.

I wouldn't worry, if she is saying stuff, just communicate with her a lot. If she's awake and in the room, talk to her.

We spend the first three years trying to get our kids to talk, and the next sixteen years trying to get them to shut up.

Ha ha ha

Answer 8

Yeah that is normal- some kids are just quiet. She should really learn quickly when she starts. If she shows little progress in the next 8 months I would bring her to a specialist.

Answer 9

If she says 12 distinct words (at the right time) by her birthday, it's "normal." If she's an only child and mostly around adults, a few months in preschool/daycare will probably get her started. If she understands but can't pronounce the K sound in words (tat=cat, milt=milk) by age 3 she may need speech therapy and testing for hearing and later for CAPD by an audiologist before starting grade school. The IDEA act of 2004 gives her rights to be classified for special services (such as speech, occupational therapy) in public school if she has one of several diagnoses (such as hearing loss, ADHD) after the school district has done a full set of tests. Don't get hung up on the words "special ed" - it's learning differences, not learning disabled.

Answer 10

Be thankful, it will change and you'll remember these times as the good old days. Don't worry about it, I have seen children be very softspoken with little to say until they are 5 or 6.

As long as she seems "healthy" in all other aspects, just let her soak up the world around her.

You and her will be just fine.