15 Month Old Son Still Not Talking

My son did not speak until he was almost 2 and a half and he is 7 now and can't be quiet. All kids are different and it is ok to be concerned if there are developmental delays in other areas but kids all pick their own time to talk. My oldest did not speak until she was about 18 months. My middle could not be quiet even as a tiny baby and spoke in full sentences when she was 1 then my youngest was 2 and a half. So they are all different but perfect in their own way.

My son did not start talking until he was 18 months. After that his language just exploded. He was at 1 understandable word, then 10, and then in sentences. It was amazing. So don't worry. Give him some time. My son was a late bloomer and now he is head of the class.

We just went through this with my daughter - There was a big concern regarding her lack of talking. We had her hearing tested and did do an evaluation through a place. If youare concerned and want an eval I can get the info for you. I can't think of the name but I can get it for you. The evaluation was free and they came in to the home and did a speech evaluation and a cognitive eval. It's a great program and the people were great to work with - What county do you live in???? Let me know if you want that contact information.

Follow your instincts. While there are many reasons for toddlers to not speak at that age, there are great resources available to ensure that everything is ok. Early Intervention is free under the age of 3 and a wonderful quick way to put you at ease or to learn something either about your tot or some good suggestions on what to do while his mouth catches up with the rest of him. From what you wrote, his hearing and comprehension do not seem to be an issue which would be even more reason to get a speech evaluation. You will get a ton of responses that say don't do anything, but you are the mom and there is no harm in getting an evaluation and/or additional help if needed. This is a critical age for speech and language development so kudos for you for you trying to do the best for your child.

Hi S.,
I am a full time speech language pathologist and have interacted with many parents experiencing the same thing you are going through. All children develop at different rates and in different ways. My recommendation is if you are concerned about your sons speech development you should have him assessed. It is not scary...it is all play based and with questions for you to answer. It is always better to get him involved early rather than late. Speech therapy will never hurt anyone and they will only recommend it if they feel he needs it. The other thing is it will help your son communicate and decrease frustration which later results in behaviors. I would love to answer any additional questions, but would encourage you to ask your pediatrician for a referral for a speech language pathology evaluation. Because your son is so young he should qualify for early intervention services that can be provided in your home (convenient since your having another baby soon). Plus they will teach you the best way to facilitate language development and help you learn what to expect and how to shape his sounds into words, etc. I can tell you more about this if needed. Please feel free to write me if there is anything else I can do..

Good luck and keep me posted!
God Bless,
A.

I wouldn't worry about it, all children progress at their own pace and he just may not be ready yet. The fact that he babbles, "answers" questions and can say "dog" and "mama" shows that he has the ability to talk and the desire to communicate. If you sense something's just not right, by all means call your pediatrician - what seem like needless worries can often be justified - no one knows their child like mommy! My son could say about 10 words (not all correctly, of course) by the time he was a year, and now at 13mo he can repeat a lot that he hears. A little girl I watch who just turned a year can only say "mama" and "dada." But they both carry on like they're having conversations. All kids are different, and given that your son is only 15 months I wouldn't give it any other thought, especially he seems to be very advanced in other areas. They say that babies & toddlers tend to focus more on one skill than another, and while they develop the first skill the others lag a bit. Once it's fairly mastered, they'll move back to the other skills. That's why it seems that for a week or two they'll sometimes "forget" or "abandon" something they've just started doing.

Now I don't know how true this is, but I've heard that Einstein didn't speak until he was seven years old, and when asked why he took so long to talk, he said, "I didn't have anything to say."

As a speech therapist I can tell you that the normal range for first words is 12-18 months. Boys are generally later to develop. That said if he doesn't start to develop some words soon getting an evaluation would probably be a good idea. You can contact Early Intervention through the state for an in-home evaluation. You could also check with your insurance company to see if they will cover private therapy. Unfortunately most insurance companies don't cover services until 2 years of age. Keep doing what you are doing (modeling, repetition etc) - it's exactly what he needs. Good luck!

S.,

Most children don't really start talking until they are nearly two years old. Boys especially take longer to talk. Two of my friends who have boys told me their sons did not start talking until they were 3. Every child is different, just like every child walks at a differnt age.

If this is something that concerns you, the best suggestion I can give you is to contact Early Invervention Services through the State of Illinois. This service is completely free of charge, and is offered to children from birth to age 3. They will come to your home and do a complete comprehensive evaluation with your son to find out if there are any delays and what services he would need. The evaluations include speech, physical, and occupational development. If he is in need of speech therapy,a speech therapist would come to your home and work with your son until he is where he needs to be. I have worked with children and families as a social worker for nearly 13 years, and I can't say enough good things about Early Intervention Services and what I have seen it do for kids!

Best Wishes,

J.

My son did not talk till he was almost 2 years old. He is now 18 years old and on his way to college. believe me he has no problem talking now.
Have you had his ears checked or his hearing checked. Ear infections in infants can delay talking. If his ears are oK I would not worry. the Lord made us all different and we should not compare one child's development with another. One child will talk early and the next will talk later. Just like one child will be born with teeth and the next will not get teeth till they are a year old. Just enjoy your baby and keep doing what you are doing.

S.

S.,

My son was a late talker as well. When he was 15-18 months old, we had him evaluated by the Early Intervention program to see if there was anything physically keeping him from talking. Thankfully there wasn't, but they recommended Speech Therapy once a week. We decided against ST and wanted to wait a little while longer to see if he would start on his own. When he turned 2 it was like a light switch, he started talking and hasn't stopped since (8 months now!). He is ahead of other kids who have started talking a lot earlier!

S.,
Kids Talk when they are ready my almost 15 month old does not say a real word but is very expressive and gets her point across. Her older sisters and bro did not really talk until they were two. At the peds office let them know you understand your child and he will talk when he is ready.
My oldest did not talk until she was over two and then said "please get me a glass of milk" no joke I think some kids wait till have more of an understanding of language then start going full throttle. Remember you know you kids best and if you think something is amiss pursue if not let it go.
J.
PS congrats on number 2!

S....please don't be alarmed. MANY kiddos at Dominic's age are not yet verbal. CHildren develop at their own rate, and as long as you are having his regular check-ups and nothing else is alarming in his develop, I'm sure he'll speak before you know it!

I am an early childhood educator, and have seen many, many children over the years who are otherwise quite normal not speaking much... even as old as 2 1/2. I don't know where you live, but our program, a music program called Kindermusik, is GREAT for enhancing language development (we have speech/language specialists refer kids to us all the time). We even have a "Sign and sing" class specifically for language development(in 6 mo to 3 yrs). If you'd like to talk more about it or learn about it, just call. I live in Bloomington, but there are Kindermusik programs all over the state...You can reach me through my website, too www.musicconnections.net. K. Henderson

I have had the pleasure of having 5 children. They are all different. My oldest son didn't start talking till he was almost 3yrs old. Until then he just pointed and grunted. My middle son was saying phrases at 12 months. Not one is smarted than the other. All of my children have gifts in different areas and grow in their own time. I know being a new mom can be very apprehensive at times, just be patient. I'm sure your son is fine and will start to speak when he is ready. Things go faster with the younger ones sometimes. Have a good day.
Chris

I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like your little boy just doesn't feel the need to express himself in that way yet. My uncle didn't start talking until after he turned 4 years old. Everyone was concerned that there was something wrong with him. Well, he is really smart. He has an IQ of over 215, has a PHD and speaks 8 languages. It turned out that he just didn't "feel" like talking. I hope this helps to reassure you a little. Good luck! (P.S. I know a lot of kids 15-18 months old right now who are still not talking yet, and their doctors don't seem to be concerned.)

I just had to say that I have learned that kids do not always do everything "by the book." I have a cousin who's son barely said a word until around the age of 4. He is still very quiet, by the way, but perfectly normal. If you have ruled out hearing issues, and the doctor's are not worried, I would give it time. I particularly remember the whole talking thing being an issue at my kid's 2 year old checkups. They needed to be putting together little phrases like "want milk" or "mama, come," nothing major. It sounds like your little guy knows what is going on, so if you have had everything checked and you feel comfortable that he understands, I would give it some time. He is still very young. Good luck.

While you don't need to press the panic button, you're absolutely right to be concerned.

If your baby has not yet had his 15 month well-baby checkup, make sure you mention this to his pediatrician and ask him/her for a referral to Early Intervention. The initial evaluation process is free, but the resulting therapy is not (unless your family income is really, really low). Your fees will be based on your family income, and some may be covered by insurance.

Our son really wasn't talking at 15 months either, so we started the process. He would sit there and flip through picture books, narrating a babbling story that made no sense whatsoever, complete with inflection. It was adorable, and it sounds like your son is doing the same! Since we started the EI, it's been absolutely wonderful and we are thrilled with our speech therapist and his progress. When he had his initial testing (which was done at our house and very much like 'play time' and not so formal and intimidating) he showed only a slight delay in speech, but enough to warrant speech therapy. Of course we decided to take advantage of it, since we'd rather fix the issue and learn how to help our son be a better communicator now than opposed to waiting until the delay became more and more pronounced.

I am a 61 year old Grandma and my daughter(oldest) did not say her first real word until she was 18 months. The word was Daddy. She really did not speak well until she was about 21 months. She also had a babble language and made up her own words for things. She grew up to be a writer and did really well in school. She graduated with honors and has three college degrees. It sounds like you are doing all of the right things and I am sure one day your son will just start talking in sentences.

J. S

Hi S.,

I'm a speech therapist and mom to an early talker and a late talker...my DS is 28 months now....at his 2 year app't in March he wasn't saying much despite all my efforts....he understood everything and could point to lots but only had about 5 real words...we had him tested through EI and he did not qualify..they have to be really really behind to qualify....at 15 months your little guy could be taking it all in but just not ready to express himself much...one thing to avoid doing is to keep asking him to say specific words...one friend of mine was desperate for her son to say mama and I think he held back on purpose just to drive her crazy!!!

Use lots of words (simple short phrases) to describe objects, pictures, toys etc...talk about what you're doing 'mommy is putting ON Dominic's pants"...let's put the toys IN the basket....look at the blue train" etc.....blowing bubbles and saying pop, pop, pop....etc, try looking up www.asha.org for ideas on stimulating toddlers speech and language development and if your still concerned request an evaluation...just be prepared that in all likelihood he wouldn't qualify unless they see other difficulties as he's still within the normal range at this point (and yes boys do generally have slower rates for acquistion of language and later on it's the boys who seem to have speech and language difficulties...my school caseloads were always about 70% boys).

B.

Email if you have any more specific questions.

At about the same age, my son was not talking either. I voiced my concern to my son's pediatrician and he referred him to early intervention for an evaluation. He was found to be delayed enough to qualify for speech therapy. Since seeing the speech therapist, my son speaks very well and has caught up with the other kids his age. He is now 32 months old.

No need to panic! ALthough clearly there are Mom's here who's kids were diagnosed with this or that let me tell you my story. My son barely talked at all until he was 2 yrs old. He clearly understood everything, babbled all the time, and had his own sign language that conveyed his wishes. He was not developmentally delayed in any way. In fact, I think because I was so in tune with him his "need" to communicate in traditional ways was not that huge, so he didn't. He took his own time to do it his way. By the time he was 2 1/2 and in preschool he had the same level vocabulary as everybody else, if not better. Years later, he writes long strange fantasy stories and is in Honors English.
That doesn't mean at some point you might not need to have him tested, but be sure you aren't communicating your anxiety to him. Personally I think parents today are obsessed with this idea of everyone developing at the same rate etc. Children are individuals just like you and me!

you hit the nail on the head with your google search of "usually". i wouldn't worry too much yet, especially since he doesn't seem to have a hearing problem (he does what you tell him to do), he randomly repeats your words (even after 1200 times for "dog"), and he is making his own words. you seem to have the right atmosphere set up for when he's ready to talk (you talk to him, you read, etc). i would think that (aside from a hearing issue) there isn't much anyone else could do until he actually starts to talk -- like an auditory processing problem or speech pathology problem... i mean how could those really be diagnosed unless he's mispronouncing things or responding incorrectly, right?? keep up the good work!

I have been receiving these digest emails for a month and have not registered until I read yours, I just had to respond. My son was like this as well, at age two he still had very few words. I urge you go find your county Early Intervention Office and have him evaluated. The program is run through the state, the eval is free. Should he need speech or other therapy the cost is reasonable, it is based on your income.

I waited until my son was 2 1/2 before I had him evaluated, he did need speech therapy. His therapist was wonderful, she came to the house and worked with him. Unfortunatly they age out of the program at 3. At that point they have to be reevaluated by the school district. In my case, my son be starting speech therapy with the school this fall (he turned 3 in May.) Early Intervention is a GREAT HELP and I wish I had started it sooner.

Good Luck!

Hi there - I wouldn't be worried if I were you. My son is now almost 22 months, and it's only been in the past 2-3 months that he has begun really talking. It began with just a couple of words, and his pronunciation of those words wasn't good, but we understood him. He also did the babble in some other language thing - where you could tell he really had something to tell us. Particularly in the past 2 months, his vocabulary has just exploded - he says at least 75 words now, he's stringing words together into little sentences, and his pronunciation of words has drastically improved.

I would just keep doing what you're doing - my pediatrician also asked me at his 12 month appt how many words he had, and at that time, there were none. So I was concerned too. But just keep talking to him, read to him really often, and we actually taught him sign language too, and I believe that helps foster communication as well. Your little guy will be delivering an earful of words to you & Peter before you know it.

And congrats on baby #2!

Hi S.! You and I are in the same boat!! My son turns 15 months on the 15th and the only real word he says is Mama. Unfortunately, he uses it for me, Daddy, and much of his general babble. He does a lot of pointing and grunting.

At his 12 month check-up, our Pediatrician told us that they usually look for 3-20 words by 15 months old. However, the word doesn't have to be a clear word that everyone else (other than you) understands. If it is distinctive enough that you know exactly what he is naming, then it counts as a word. But...my son really isn't doing that either.

I was freaking-out at the 12 month check-up, since he wasn't even saying Mama then. But now, I'm not worried at all. Like your son, my boy's language comprehension is outstanding. I can give him complex instructions ("go to the family room and pick up the green block and bring it to me") and he can do it. We may be referred to a speech therapist. And, if so, that's okay.

You're reading to your son, talking to your son, and doing everything right. Try not to let the anxiety get to you. As with the walking, all kids do things at their own pace. Years from now, when our children are in school, it will make absolutely no difference that they weren't talking at 15 months! :)

If you are interested, send me an IM/email after your son's 15 month check-up and we can trade notes. My son's appt is Tuesday, 8/19.

My middle grandson said "ahh duh" for 2 solid years in response to EVERYTHING we said to him or ask him. He went to the dentist one day and had to have a tooth pulled (due to a congenital condition) and came over the next day. I asked him how he was and he replied "I had surgery and I don't feel good". I almost passed out. My mother actually felt faint and had to lay down. The point is, that so many times they don't speak because they don't want too/or need too. My Devon spoke only when I asked specific questions after that for about 1 year. It was weird, but ok according to the docs I work with. He is perfectly normal at age 5 and talks my ear off.

I know what your going through expect my son who is 16 mo. prefers to be quiet most of the day. His doctor is also concerned about his speaking skills. At WIC they told me about Early Beginnings where they observe your child at home and see if there may be a way to help him out. This program is free and is good till the child is 3. I am going to check it out. Hope this helps.

Hi S., I just had the same type of conversation with my pediatration. My son is just over 15 months and I had the same concerns you did. When I spoke to the DR she said my son being able to understand what I am say/asking and responding accordingly is perfect. She said that it takes a lot for them to speak, but that my sons vocabulary sould start to increase, as he can say a couple four words, around 18 months and definitely by 24 months. She did say that boys are definitely slower, but not to get too worked up until his 24 month check up. I found this very reassuring.
Hope this helps.

I had the same issue with my now 3 year old. And when my nephew was about 17 months he came to live with me and he was doing exactly what your little boy is doing. They are both the youngest of 3 children. As an educator, I know it is normal for boys to be delayed a little bit sometimes. My son is 3 and still does not speak like other children his age, but he is suddenly speaking in complete sentences. He has two older siblings to translate and speak for him.

It sounds like you are doing the right things yourself. And you are right to be concerned, but don't panic. Every child is different. If he can follow simple directions, he understands. He may be choosing not to speak. Was the pediatrician concerned?

You can do a couple of things yourself to encourage him to speak. Every time you give him juice, or a cookie or whatever you can repeat it and then have him try to say it before you give it to him. I would give him the cookie or whatever at any attempt. Don't withhold like a treat for a puppy. Once he starts saying something you can tell him good job you used your words. Then once he starts using words, you can tell him to use his words when he wants something. I found we were responding too well to my son's and my nephew's nonverbal cues that they didn't need words!

There is a program in Indiana called First Steps. It is a program available to every child under the age of 2 or 3 (can't remember!). Any time in the program is extrememly beneficial. It is much cheaper than private speech/language therapy. I suggest taking your son to the pediatrician and seeking a referral or look online first. (I think to enroll you need a ped. referral. Not sure.) Especially if you have had his hearing checked and there are no physical reasons for his speech delay. A speech therapist will come to your house or his daycare and work with him for an hour. I had a wonderful experience with this program for my nephew. The cost depends on your insurance. My nephew was on medicaid. The cost is minimal though. It is worth it. As an educator, I know that any speech delay can affect long term learning and early intervention can make a huge difference.

Hi S.,

It seems like your son's receptive language is great and maybe the expressive language is lagging a little. I know that there is a range and it could be that he'll "catch up" soon. But if you're concerned, then I would strongly suggest that you get him screened for speech, either through your peds, or, for free, through the State of Illinois 0 to 3 program.

Our son's speech started on time, but we could not always understand him. We had him screened through the state program and he was borderline, in terms of a concern. We got him screened again through our peds and they agreed that there was an issue, but also that, at 2, it was early. They encouraged us to follow through with services, though, and he received speech therapy services, in our home, at a cost pro-rated based on our salary, and it was great. His speech greatly improved and it's never been an issue since.

The office locator for early childhood screening/assessment offices can be found at: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12

Best of luck,

S.
Mom of 6y.o. and 4y.o.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it! My daughter is almost 20 months, and is just barely starting to talk 'words'. She sounds just like your son; speaking her own language, as well as understanding and responding to two-part commands. Our doctor told us they like to see around 50 words by the time they're two. My mom says I didn't talk until after I was two, so I'm really not concerned. She has no hearing problems and is perfectly normal in all respects. Most of her little friends are all talking, but she does a lot of impressive (I think) things that they have yet to do. That's my two cents!

Jen

My son started talking at 21 months. No biggy...he is now 10 years old and brilliant. He has a huge vocabulary, is very healthy and scores in the 99th percentile for math and 97 for reading. Chillax girl...he's still a baby!

It doesn't sound like he has a hearing loss, so I would go to a children's hospital and see if they can evaluate him. Or you can see if the special education for your area, has a program and they can evaluate him and give him services, usually at no cost. I would suggest learning sign language,He will be able to communicate and it can reduce his frustration and yours. Also, I have seen children who learned sign, begin to speak. I hope that helps.
Chris

I truly wouldn't worry about it.. May daughter is 18 months and she babble all day and she swears she saying something, but it is unrecognizable, but she understand EVERYThing we say, the doctor says that is perfectly normally, don't get yourself in tizzy about this. They really don't start saying recongnizable words until after 18 months and putting two would sentences together until afer 20, 21 months. Give him some time, just keep working with him and he will be talking your ear off in no time.

Don't worry.

S.,
I had a similar situation with my son who is now 5. I would talk to your pediatrition. We had our son evaluatated and he qualified for therapy thru the state and at age 3 he then went into the school system here in Johnsburg. He was diagonsed as being developmentally delayed due to being premature and has come a long way!! We had him tested for autism which was nerve racking but everything turned out ok. Early intervention is the key. Go speak to your doctor and go from there.
C.

Hey, S. my nephew was the same way he completely comprehended and understood everything we said however he was not speaking other then the occassional momma at that time he was about 18 mos. Over the summer we took him to my mother (his grandmother) in St. Louis and he came back saying about 10-15 words, There he was around alot of kids and attended daycare I think that plays a vital role. He is now 22 mos and says bye-bye, juice, eat-eat, pot, among a few other words. I think in my personal opinion that being around fellow kids definitely pushes them to do and say more. Hope this helps you.

I wonder what is inspiring your concern. In your subject line, you call your son a 15 month old who is still not talking but in your description of the "problem" you detail many instances of just how much your son is communicating. I would try focusing on the positive (i.e. "He understands us...he's a very active and smart little boy...his cognitive skills are strong...he's made up his own little language...he says 'mamamama'") and focus less on what Google says. Trust your own instincts with your son. Does he really, really at 15 months, appear to be a "slow to speak child"?

It sounds like your son understands and is storing the information away for later use. That he knows where to put something means that he can hear just fine. It may be that he just doesn't want to talk right now though. The only advice I can offer is to use only the word you want him to learn for the first few times you say it. And when he babbles try to clarify what he is saying.

I think you're fine, but if you are concerned about it you can always get an evaluation through the school district (I think) to possibly start some early intervention speech programs. When my son was 15 months he had a couple select words, most of them "Da" -- everything was da. He babbled a lot, and I think as long as his babbles have multiple sounds (that he's forming vowels,etc) then there isn't anything to wory about. By the time he was two, his language exploded from Da to 3-4 word sentences. Now, he doesn't stop talking & we quickly got to "why?"! My sister's a speech path, though, and she always says that a mom knows if there's a problem, so if you think there is a delay, then I'm pretty sure it's free for the evaluation. If for nothing else then peace of mind!

When my daughter was 15 months she spoke very few words mamamamam &dadadada but she too had a language all her own "diddle diddle - dabple" ALL DAY LONG. It never made sence to anyone - but it seems like she eventually one day started real words and now we cant get her quiet. She is two years old now & she loves to talk! Just be patient and relax -it will happen.

15 months is still young to start talking. If he is babbling then I would think he's on his way to saying words. I would be worried if he didn't make any sounds. Give him some time, if he's not talking by two then I would be worried.

My son will be 15 months on the 30th and he is not really talking either. He can say da da and woof woof when he sees a dog. He babbles all the time and I think he is saying a version of hello when he plays with a phone.

I'm not that worried yet, because he also understands very well. When we ask him how old he is he holds up one finger, he can point to his eyes and mouth and ears and head. When you say "hat" he points to his head. If we tell him to go get a book or his sippy cup he can do that.

I would be interested to hear what you doctor says at your 15 month appointment also.

we did sign language and it seemed to rapidly help him associate w/words and communicate. NEVER too late in my opinion to help w/frustration

My son was 3 years old before he started to talk. You should talk with your Dr. just to be sure everything is ok.
JP

HI S.- First of all i would talk to his pediatrician with your concerns. Yes the range of normal is huge, but if you are concerned you should ask. Second, with children under the age of 3, you can contact your local Easter Seals for early intervention. Otherwise, call your local public scholl district and ask them where to start. Good luck!

Hi S.,
Have you spoken to Dominic's doctor? Just wondering if it might be his hearing, that can delay speech and in many cases it can be corrected quickly and with out surgery. I know you said he takes direction well, but this might be something to look into. Were either you or your husband late talkers? There are a million reasons why he doesn't talk yet, but on the bright side, Einstein didn't talk until after 2! How about interaction with other children? Maybe some play dates could get him to start chatting up a storm. But, I do believe that you are his mom and mothers know what is best for their own children! So I will end with this, Good luck and keep trying, once they start, all bets are off on being quiet! :)
D. M

S., I know it's scary and as long as you know there is nothing wrong with his hearing, relax he is just going to talk in his own good time, and then you'll wonder where the plug is trust me, my daughter (30) didn't talk until she was almost 3 and she has a degree in communications and her daughter 3 1/2 didn't talk until then also. hope it helps
L.