my 20 month old son doesnt talk yet?

Question

my son still doesnt speak. i am wondering maybe its because i am bilingual and am speaking 2 languages to him.

he is giving signs of communication, like pointing, grunting and is saying only 2 words which one of them is ''gimmie''

Answer 1

It is proven that being raised learning two languages does delay speech. It takes time for them to process all the words and understand that many words mean the same thing. They also need to figure out which words go with which language. However, once a bilingual child begins talking he is fluent in two languages. It is well worth the wait!


Delayed speech can also be the result of many other things. Such as hearing probs, older siblings to do the talking for them, or medical probs. My son had delayed speech as a result of being "tongue tied". This means the skin under his tongue came too far forward and prevented his tongue from moving enough to make proper sounds. This should be caught by the ped when they are newborns, or even by a speech pathologist. After 3 speech evals, a few hearing tests, an ENT finally found it in 30 seconds when he was 5 years old. It requires a simple 15 minute surgery. In our case, he was talking normally in less than a month.

To check for it yourself, play a tongue game together. See how far he can stick out his tongue. See if he can touch the roof of his mouth with the tip, see if he can curve it up or down, can he touch the back of his teeth. My son could do none of these things and at the time I didn't know enough to look for these things.


I suggest a trip to the ENT for a hearing eval and a quick check of the tongue and probably a trip to a speech pathologist, but it is probably due to the privilege of being raised bilingual.

Answer 2

Don't worry too much,as long as ears have been checked and are ok he'll learn and people are quick to say autisim DON'T listen. My son didn't talk till 2. Now he is 2 and a half and says about 100 words and two word sentences. If he is understanding most of what you say, your fine for now. But that doesn't mean don't get involved. What I did I went to a program called First Steps to have him evaluated for speech, this is done through your local schoold district. It's free and the speech therapist will come to your house. I bet your son is saying more than you think. Pay attention and really listen. At this age a word doesn't have to be clear to be a word. For example, ba may be ball, news for shoes, gog for dog, you see speech is very complex. Each child is diffrent.Boys typically have more speech delay than girls. Take my advise you can't go wrong, I promise from my experience. Good luck!

Answer 3

You have some great answers here. Definitely make sure your pediatrician is in the loop, and that hearing isn't the issue; but it is probably no big deal. Does he seem to understand things? Can he point to body parts if you ask him or get certain toys you ask for? When I called to have my son (at 18 months) evaluated, then ended up telling me that yes he was a little behind on speaking, but ahead of the curve on comprehension. That's fine by me. I think it is great that your son will grow up bilingual, but perhaps just for a few months, stick with English just so as he can get a good grasp of it and put your mind at ease. He may just be a little confused.

Answer 4

The rule of thumb is 15 "words" (they dont have to be perfect words) by 18 months old, and 2-3 word sentences by their second birthday. Anything less than that may indicate a developmental delay. My nephew was only saying 2 words at that age as well, and has had to have testing for his hearing and other things, and is going through speech therapy. My friends daughter is 5 now, and went through the same thing at that age. The earlier you get your child help, the easier it will be for him to get caught up, and hopefully be at "normal" development by the time he starts school. Otherwise, he may really struggle. It COULD be nothing, but its better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the well-being of your child. I wouldnt hesitate to get him checked out, and hopefully he is fine and you can have peace of mind. If not, then at least you will be aware and able to help him.

Here is part of an article. You can see the full thing at http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZJ8RP86DC&sub_cat=105

Developmental Health Watch
Because each child develops at his own particular pace, it's impossible to tell exactly when yours will perfect a given skill. The developmental milestones will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, but don't be alarmed if he takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician; however, if he displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.

Cannot walk by 18 months
Fails to develop a mature heel-toe walking pattern after several months of walking, or walks exclusively on his toes
Does not speak at least 15 words by 18 months
Does not use two-word sentences by age 2
By 15 months, does not seem to know the function of common household objects (brush, telephone, bell, fork, spoon)
Does not imitate actions or words by the end of this period
Does not follow simple instructions by age 2
Cannot push a wheeled toy by age 2

Answer 5

It is well documented that bilingual kids speak a bit later on average, but I think well worth it!

My daughter did this as well, she had 3 sounds which meant 8-9 things depending on context (like "da" could be Daddy or dog), and the doctor said she was fine at her 2-year checkup. Literally one week later, she said "Wait up" to a cousin and was off and running.

Have his hearing checked and if it is OK, be patient. He will be fine. Keep talking to him and encouraging him to talk, one day he will just flood you with words!

Answer 6

I wouldn't worry, and I'd keep speaking both languages to him. My son didn't really let loose talking until he was 2. He had hearing trouble because of constant ear infections, got tubes at 16 mo and was talking at 2. Give him a little more time and see what happens.

I have some friends that their baby daughter didn't speak a word until she was 3. Then at the dinner table she asked, "Daddy, do you like peas?" Never know what's going on in that little noggin!

TX Mom
Not a pediatrician

Answer 7

all toddlers are different. i'm also bilingual and my daughter is 17 months and she's talking very well. i know a toddler who is 2 and doesn't speak half as much as my daughter. your son may not be ready to speak or there's something wrong with his hearing. you can have his hearing checked and see if that solves the problem. if his hearing is fine, then he's just not ready to talk. good luck :)

Answer 8

I don't think that it's uncommon especially in boys. Especially if he has other siblings at home. He's getting his point across by what he's doing now so he just doesn't feel the need to expand his vocabulary. If he doesn't start speaking more when he's 2 or 21/2 then get his hearing checked.

Answer 9

20 months is far to early to be diagnosed with autism, a toddler can easily grow out of these behaviors. autism doesn't become clear until at least 10.

Answer 10

My neighbors spoke French and English to their kids, it took them longer to talk but they did well when they did. I'm concerned that he only says 2 words, it could be nothing, but I suggest looking up "Child Find" in your area to have him evaluated in case he does have a disorder of some kind, he needs help ASAP. Chances are it is nothing but it's better to get it checked out.