2 year olds speech ,should i be worried

[Arimeh]

I probably wouldn't be worried either. DS speaks really well for his age - and everyone who meets him comments on that fact - so I would assume that most kids don't really start talking - like really talking, not just jibberish (I say DS speaks Chinese most of the time ) until maybe 2 and a half? I know from all the other kids I've met, I still can't understand what they are saying at 4!!! LOL

If it didn't worry you before - and it took one persons comments to worry you - then I would think that you know your son better than that person.

However, having said all that - it never hurts to get peace of mind - IYKWIM?

[MantaRay]

I wouldn't be worried. T is the same. J was talking heaps better at 2, so obviously they are all different. But the carers at day care think T is fine for his age so I'm not worried and I don't think you should be either.

[all girls]

DD3 hardly spoke at 2 either, i had people comment on it all the time, i wasn't worried she just didn't have much to say.... And now she is making up for it she doesn't shut up hehe She only said Mum Dad and No also so try not to worry

[Doing my best]

my nephew didn't really speak anything understandable at 2, and in the last 4 months (he will be 3 next Feb) you can't shut him up!! We used to get my niece to interpret if his mother was at work or shopping etc.. I would be inclined not to worry as he is talking, just not in a language that most can understand yet..

[Astrolady]

Ashton is 2 in 8 days time and only says Mum and beep beep clearly. He has been on the waiting list for a speech therapist for a few months and we should be getting seen to very soon. We have also had our other 2 boys do intensive speech therapy, with Kameron still having severe delays in one area at the age of 7

ETA - It doesn't hurt to have him go through an assessment, it is really only play based. I wish I had done Kameron alot earlier, but like you thought there was nothing wrong with him and he'd be talking soon enough. It wasn't till we hit Kindy that I realised he had issues.

[Curly]

Okay, well he is not within the expected range of ability for a 2 year old which is probably why your MCHN wants him assessed by a speech therapist. A 2 year old is meant to have a minimum of 20 clear words and be starting to link 2 words together (most have more than this).

This does not mean you have cause to worry however!

My DS had an assessment with a speech therapist after his 18 month check because he didn't have 5 words. I took him myself because I didn't want to torture myself wondering. It turned out that his understanding etc were perfect but for whatever reason he just wasn't communicating, so the speechie gave me some exercises to do with him to see how he went. This was very reassuring for me - the way the MCHN carried on about it, it really got me concerned. He just had his 2 year assessment and he probably has about 70 words and is just starting to link 2 words together, so still below average, so to speak, but within the range, so no more talk about speech therapy. I never took him back after the initial assessment, haven't had to.

There can also be a genetic factor involved. If you or DH were late talkers - then your children may be. I and my siblings didn't speak till well past the age of 2 - so my mum was very disparaging over the notion of speech therapy because it was never raised as a problem with her!

Definitely get him assessed, even if it is just for your peace of mind. Far better than wondering if you should worry or not. Then, if there is an issue, at least you are onto it asap. Your MCHN might also want to schedule a hearing test as well - that's the easiest thing to rule out.

[MrsFabuloso]

Hi hun,

If I were you, I wouldn't be worried, though I might still go to a speech pathologist, jic. It can't hurt, kwim??
Anyhow, here's some info I have collected for work.....

18Months
Has vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words
Vocabulary made up chiefly of nouns
Some echolalia (repeating a word or phrase over and over)
Much jargon with emotional content
Is able to follow simple commands

24 Months
Can name a number of objects common to his surroundings
Is able to use at least two prepositions, usually chosen from the following: in, on, under
Combines words into a short sentence-largely noun-verb combinations (mean) length of sentences is given as 1.2 words
Approximately 2/3 of what child says should be intelligible
Vocabulary of approximately 150-300 words
Rhythm and fluency often poor
Volume and pitch of voice not yet well-controlled
Can use two pronouns correctly: I, me, you, although me and I are often confused
My and mine are beginning to emerge
Responds to such commands as "show me your eyes (nose, mouth, hair)"


**Just remember that those milestones for 24mths are for the year your baby turns 2, not for when he turns 2, so by the time he's almost 3 he should meet those criteria, kwim? Thant's why I included the 18mths too, cause Nixon isn't quite 2. As long as he meets the criteria for 18mths and is working on the 24mths, I wouldn't worry.
HTH!!

[Snoopea]

My son was the same until about 3 when he knocked our socks off and went for long sentences and is always correcting his own speech. If he can't pronounce something he'll keep repeating it until he gets it right! His speech is at time better than my daughters who is 6 and has always been very advanced in the speech department!
All children are different and 2 is still young he has plenty of time to develop his speech!

I personally wouldn't be concerned but if your worried about his speech then have the check done!

Snoopea

[*charmalea*]

thanks for you replies everyone , i think he is behind a bit , going by what kellie said...
but im not going to worry just yet until i get him assed , but speech therapy aside , what else happens to a kid with poor speech , does it mean their reading a writing suffer ..

he is good at motor skills , so i guess he just has to catch up in the intelllctual dept..

[Rach75]

Jack is 2 and 9days early august he only said a handful of words but int he last month holy moly the words this child will say is amazing...I wouldn't be worried...

[Salsa]

Dont worry, but do get him assessed if you and his daddy are not understanding him very well. My DS finally got assessed around 2 - 2.5 yrs and it was when the therapist asked me do we as parents understand over or under 50% of what he says? That I realised we understood less than 50% - and by that age thats not so good. The therapist can tell if he needs it or not, some kids are hard to understand but are making the right sounds for their age, mine wasnt . They concluded he needed help said they would wait till he was 3 yrs to start, as anything before was too tricky for the kid etc. Ds spent 2 yrs with therapy and has made a big difference for him and for us and others understanding him. Its great now he is at school he knows how to self correct alot too.