18 Month Old Is Still Not Talking

I wouldn't worry about it. He will start talking when he is ready. I don't rememeber when my kids started talking since they are in their mid to late 20's.
I have a 2 year old grandson that say mom, dad, has is own little word for granny, pretty, please, thank you, yaya and he just really started saying most of those words. So there is hope. Good luck.

I wouldn't worry - My son didn't really talk until he was almost 3 years old and then he went from hardly talking at all to talking in full-sentences... He spent a lot of time absorbing and listening. Now he's 3 and a half, and I'm saying "shh" sometimes because he just goes on and on. :)

My daughter was the same way. She did not talk until she was almost 2 1/2. When she did start talking it was in complete sentences. I would talk it over with you pediatrician.

ummmm... i just kind of perused the responses and i have to disagree.... only because my son was exactly the same - my concern developed at 18 months and everyone said --- aww dont worry..... But i contacted early intervention, had him evaluated and VOILA! he had issues.... constant fluid in his ears with 'silent' ear infections.... at 20 months we got into our first speech eval and he was saying maybe 5 words... they diagnosed him with a 10 month speech delay or 50%. within about 8 months we had a few more speech evals and hearing tests etc and in September he had tubes put in his ears (about 27 months of age...) within 6 weeks he had the vocabulary of a 5 year old. Speaking clear as day.

I do not know where you live but the contact for early intervention in Pierce county is Who do I contact if I have concerns about my baby's development?

Child Reach, South Tacoma Business Park
###-###-####

1-800-562-0336

Athena Elrod, Lead Family Resources Coordinator, PCHS
____@____.com
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R. - I am a speech-language pathologist. I would recommend getting an evaluation for your son. Even if this is "nothing" you and your hubby can get some great ideas on how to encourage your little guy to start talking. The earlier you intervene, the better the outcome. You can get an evaluation free of charge through your local education service district. They do often have a long wait to get in, so I would call sooner rather than later. Most health insurance provides coverage for evaluations if you decide to go privately. I have a private practice in the Tualatin area. Be sure to check out the member perks if you decide to come see me. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

K. Jellison, MS, CCC
Speech-Language Pathologist

This sounds like my youngest child. He ended up with tubes in his ears and had to go through speech therapy. Go to an Eye, Ears, and Nose Specialist and see what they think - better to be sure and then not worry about it anymore.

R.,

I know just how you are feeling. Our son was over two when he talked clearly for the first time. He was a foster child and of course We had to enroll him in the birth to three program in our town ( not my choice). I think that they made him feel stupid at times.

I have heard from other mothers that some not all boys take longer to talk.

Your son will probably be like ours and one day just start talking plain as day, like he has been talking for years. Thats how ours did.

Hope this helps,

D.

You are fine. Some do things early and some dont. Dont worry about your friends kids earlier developments. All its gonna do is stress ya out

R.!

Your son is so normal.

There was another post from a mommy of a 2 year old, who was worried because her son wasn't speaking yet. It wasn't that long ago. Do a search and read the replies to her post - many moms chimed in to say that their son (and sometimes daughter) didn't start talking until after age 2!

My friend's son is 2 and 3 months and he only JUST started putting words together in any sort of consistent or understandable way. His language is exploding - he just wasn't ready before now.

I know how hard it is to not compare our children. But, as much as you can, try to encourage your husband to turn a deaf ear to others when they start talking about how early their children talked. Your son is normal!! He really is. He's jabbering, he's engaging with you guys, he's laughing. All of those things say that he's aware of language and how conversation works.

You can always ask your pediatrician, of course. That might help your husband in particular. But my guess is that your son is fine.

My pediatrician told me "normal" is 20 words by 20 months, and 200 words by 2 years. My son sounded about like yours, and we ended starting speech when he was 2 1/2. After 1 session he was saying a wealth of words and now at 3 is totally caught up (he's actually at 4 year level). Here's a few tips we learned: make him look at you when you're talking so he can see your mouth move (our son was always so busy this was hard), hold things by your mouth as you say the word (eg. "do you want a spoon?" and hold the spoon by your mouth), start with easy sounds (M,P,B words are easiest, then vowels), teach him baby signs so he can communicate while he's learning and doesn't get so frustrated. I wouldn't get too concerned as he sounds like a bright busy boy, but as the speech therapist told us, "if your child couldn't walk by this age, wouldn't you do something to help them?"

Remind your husband that Einstein didn't talk till he was 3 years old!!! That might help out?!

I wouldn't be concerned at all. In fact, the next time you go to your pediatrician ask about it and you'll see your son is doing fine. There are lots of things you can do to encourage language development. The easiest and simplest thing to do is talk to and around your child. Read to him.
I love the website www.babycenter.com
especially http://www.babycenter.com/0_toddler-milestone-understandi...

All children develop differently. Talk to your pediatrician to see what they think. My son is 3 years old and when he was about 18 months I took him in to the Little Red School House (one in Lynnwood and one in Everett) because he had just four or five words. After a lot of talking to a couple ladies there we decided he did need to get some help and it is amazing how much he has learned. They went to his daycare twice a week for an hour a session. It is wonderful to see how much he learned. He loves to say how wonderful something is (usually he tells me he's not wonderful anymore but I am I tell him we are wonderful).Sometimes I wish for just a few quiet moments but most of the time I just enjoy sitting back with him while he talks to me. It's amazing!!

Finally go with your gut instinct if you want to get him checked out do it!! If for no other reason than your peace of mind!!

My son is 19 months old now and only has a few words he says clearly. My son will jabber quite a bit just like your son and we know he is saying something but cannot understand the sounds yet. He understands everything said to him and is normal is every way. Just a little slower developing vocabulary. He is in a daycare setting with children his age. Quite a few of them talk much clearer than he does. Since your son understands what is being said to him and does try to communicate I wouldn't worry too much. He will probably be able to pronuciate more words before you know it. Tell your husband not to worry and that all children develop at their own pace. I hope this helps.

If you are concerned I suggest contacting Encompass, they are in North Bend and are have an early developement program, talk to someone in the Birth to Three department. They will ask you some questions and can set up a time for a speech therapist to come to your house and do an evaluation to determine if your child needs speech therapy.

I called them and my son is currently undergoing speech therapy with them. They are very friendly and great. You could even look them up online at www.encompassnw.org

Good Luck!

Hi R. E, I doubt that you have anything wo worry about with your son not talking yet. 18 months old is still pretty young. Our daughter talked very early but our son didn't talk until after he was 3 years old! He's 24 now and talks just fine :) Do have him checked out by your pediatrician, if that's fine, don't worry. When he has something to say he'll talk! Good Luck, J.

I have news for your husband. Most 18 month olds don't say much if anything at all. The fact that your son has a couple words he uses is normal. You don't need to be concerned until they turn 2. Talk to your pediatrician and see if your son should be evaluated after he turns two. My son didn't talk until he was 2 1/2 years old. There is nothing wrong with him he was just a late talker. Now he won't stop talking. Hang in there and tell your husband to calm down. he'll talk when he is ready. As long as he is communicating with you he is probably just fine.

I have a 19month old son and he does the same thing. If you work with him on a it alot he will eventually talk. Some kids take longer. Mine says stuff but because he is so stubborn he sometimes will not talk and just jabber away. So if you sit down and work with him on saying stuff then he will start to talk more.

If you are concerned you could try contacting EDIS. They have ideas on way to help kids "catch up" if a little behind.

At 13-14 months our daughter had a lot of words, which she promptly stopped using a few months later, replacing most of her words with signs. It was freaky but then we realized that we were doing all the talking for her. She'd make the sign for drink and we'd say, "Oh, do you need a drink?". So we stopped doing all the work, language-wise so that she'd need to pull out the words we knew she had at the ready. Sure enough, within a couple of weeks she was using her language again.

Otherwise, while I don't know that a specialist is called for just yet, a chat with the pediatrician might be...mostly just to ease your mind while ruling out anything medical (checking his hearing, etc).

Try not to worry, though. There are so many milestones ahead of you and while it is very easy to compare how your child is measuring up to other kids, it's a real trap.
You have miles to go on this parenting journey and while the worry is part of the job, the fact is your precious child is uniquely him, with his own flaws and gifts and talents. Is he happy? Is he healthy? Then you are doing your job.

Blessings.

I wouldn't worry too much. All children learn different things and different speeds. I have 3 of my own and none of them crawled of talked or walked at the same age cue. The fact that he is making the attempt to talk would seem good enough to me. And if you want to clear things up for your husband, just mention your concerns to your pediatrician at your next check up.

There is some cause for concern. Some kids do just talk late, but the majority who are not talking on time need help. At 18 months, your son should not only be speaking, but combining words to two word phrases like "Daddy up" or "Mommy bye-bye". He should also have a vocabulary of 50-100 words.

But, getting some professional help isn't hard at all. The health department will give free screenings to any child under age three. Its not a difficult process and if you need further evaluation they will help you to find the right place to do it.

BTW, I have two daughters with speech delays and they are doing much better with therapy. I am also a Communication Sciences and Disorders major at WWU (the BS degree which prepares you for grad school to become a Speech Therapist).

The other important aspect, and the reason it is not a good idea to wait, is that if a child is identified later, such as school age, it is hard for them to keep up with what they should be learning with delayed communication skills. It impacts their understanding of what teachers and classmates say, their ability to participate in class, and to socialize - which is very important. Getting behind in education could make school difficult and frusterating. On the other hand, if it is caught early, there is a good chance that a speech-delayed child can start school on an equal footing with the other kids.

Jenn

You're not alone. We just asked the dr. the same thing last week at my daughters 18 month appointment. She's really not talking much but is definitely comprehending everything. He said he was not too worried right now. His advice was to basically pick one word each day and make a big deal out of it to familiarize her with more words.

I was getting nervous too, I still am but I just have to keep reminding myself that DD will talk when she's ready!

R.,

DON'T WORRY. First off, I was exactly in your shoes and posted this same comment a few months ago. My son was not talking when he turned 2 and his doctor made us take him to a speech therapist. He was babbling and making a lot of sounds, just not much more than a word here or there. His motor skills were off the chart and he understood everything that we said to him so his speech was all she was worried about. When he was born, I went back to work and my husband stayed home with him. I realized that guys just don't relate to babies like we do. So he didn't get a lot of "talking to" like he would have if I would have been there doting on him every single second. So any way, we went to speech therapy for about 2 months (twice a week) and they couldn't believe how well he was improving. He wasn't...he was just getting comfortable around him. Oh, and he is our only son and I'm 43, so this is all new to me. Then my husband went to work and I started full time as well and my son started going full days to the babysitter. She has 4 kids of her own (5 years to 4 months, with a 2 year old in there). The kids were all saying that my son was talking to them, but we just couldn't understand him yet. Well, he is now 2 years and 4 months and he is talking up a storm. Every day is a new word and he's trying more all the time. I was never worried about him because I knew he understood what was going on before but our doctor, for some reason, felt he needed to go. I know those two months didn't help him because all they did was play games, which he didn't like because he doesn't like strangers. So it took that long for him to get comfortable with the helpers. So long story short, if that is the only thing he's no doing, don't worry. A lot of boys focus on one thing at a time. So if he was spending a lot of time learning to walk, then he wasn't thinking about talking. And if he was crawling, same thing. I think the deadline (imaginary) that I had set for myself was 3 years. If he still wasn't saying anything more than 5 or 10 words by then, then I'd start to get worried. Our friend's daughter was just a few months older and was talking up a storm, counting in Spanish, the whole nine yards. So my husband wanted to worry too, but I think it is just their competitive nature. Hope this isn't too long but I just wanted to reassure you that if you know he's okay, just hang in there and pretty soon, his words will come. And don't worry. I know that's easy for me to say, but I didn't worry when my son was facing the same thing. Hang in there.
R. (too) ;o)

I would give it until he's turned 2 - that's the point when there are some speech benchmarks to begin noticing. If he hasn't reached those at that time and you are still concerned, then it sure wouldn't hurt to have an eval done. At 18 months there's a lot of kids that aren't talking much, but it usually really explodes over the next 6 months. Get your hubby to hold off, promising him that if there is still a concern in 6 months that you can go see someone. Then just relax and enjoy your little guy's development on his own time!

Hi R., my son Jack is 19 months old and still not talking. All he says is dadda, and ball, but not even mama. I am pretty sure it's normal, our doctor said not to worry about it until he is 2 years old. They should have quite a few words by then. I think that when these boys start talking it will be in full sentences and they will have a lot to say!! At least my son baby chatters all day long, and sings with baby talk. So I am kind of enjoying this non-talking time because I know it's coming to an end soon and then we will never get him to be quiet :)

I also think that boys are just a little slower in this field. If your husband is home have him read lots of picture books. I know that my little Jack can show you where things are in books, but he just doesn't want to say what they are. As long as they are recognizing and starting to understand I wouldn't be concerned. I am amazed at how much they understanding and responding to things like puzzles and books in the 18 and 19 month. It's like a lightbulb goes off and it's just awesome to watch!!

Anyways, now I am just going on and on. In a nutshell, don't worry he will talk soon :)

K.

R.,
Hi I dont think you have anything to worry about. My name is L. and a mother of three. My midle age child who just turned three a couple of weeks ago has struggled talking. Nobody, except for me and my six year old could understand him. My doctor told me not to worry about it and so I haven't. I'm so glad that I haven't because he is coming around. Everyday he surprises everybody with new word and sentenses. I still might put him in speech but he has come a long ways. I just think they will talk when their ready. Just because your friend's children were talking at a young age doesnt meen that there is anything wrong with yours. He will talk when he's ready.
Good Luck,
L. H.

I'd always ask your pediatrician if you have concerns, and check the guidelines at www.whattoexpect.com, they usually seem right on as far as what your child should be/might be doing at his/her age level.

my sister and a friend both expressed that they thought my daughter might have speech issues because she did a lot of jabbering and many words could not be understood when she was 2. Now she's three and you can understand about 80% of what she says. The guidelines state that a stranger should be able to understand a 4 year old 100% of the time.

Some kids are just slower to talk. Talk about everything you're doing around the house and repeat words often, giving objects names. My daughter knows everything, even things I never taught her, it's just a matter of knowing what things are called. I'd try some flash cards, the best ones we found are by brainquest, we got them at toys r us.

the guidelines for zero to three or early intervention are that an 12-18 month old should say 3-5 words plus mama and dada. You can always get him evaluated through this same program. Or wait till he turns 19 months so he falls into a different age category. I believe if they evaluate the child at being 20% behind normal you qualify for services.
People have told me not to worry that my 17 month old doesn't talk and that she'll catch up, but I'll feel better knowing I did what I could to help her catch up.

www1.dshs.wa.gov/iteip

Your little guys sounds like loads of fun and a real kick! Don't worry about him not talking yet, he IS talking and it's not his fault that others don't understand. :) Just relax as he will start talking in "your" language soon enough. I'm watching a little guy who will be two this month and he doesn't say a word, not Momma, Dadda, or anything else and my son didn't talk until he was about 2 1/2 when he started talking in sentences. Neither one of these two had to talk, everyone else did it for them.

Hi R., I am a mother of two great kids, a 7 y.o. and a 4 y.o. My 7 y.o. was also a late talker.....my pediatrician at the time suggested I have her evaluated by a speech therapist, and boy, was I glad I did! It turns out she was speech delayed. I was devastated at the time, and since she was my first child, went through a period of denial as to how much an 18 month old should really be able to say. But I sought therapy for her anyway, and it has been a big help. It was frustrating for both of us that she couldn't communicate well, and I believe now that by getting her help early it really boosted her ability to communicate, and her self-esteem. It wasn't until I had my second child, who started to talk "right on schedule" that I really understood how many words a 12 to 18 month old should be able to say. Anyway, I hope this helps. Knowledge is power, so even if your fabulous child has no speech delay, at least you'll know that you explored your options. (BTW, my hubby didn't believe our child needed and extra help, either! And today, he is thankful that I pursued it anyway!)

As a mother of 3 boys & with 35 years childcare experience, i can tell you, every boy is different. If he is not talking better by the time he is 30 months, you might need to be concerned. But if daddy is the only person he is with everyday, he might just need to see other children in action.if you are not sleeping because of this, just talk to your pediatrician. But it seems he hears, as he knows how to entertain him self with laughter. Just love him lots!
Auntie C.

I would say not to worry...children start talking at all different ages...it really isn't a problem. I think the problem is that parents compare their child to others. Also, if the child learns baby sign language that helps.

there is nothing to worry about. He will develop at his own pace. Enjoy him where he is in this moment and do not think about where you want him to be. Just enjoy him.

My son is 20 months old and still only says a hand full of words. All kids develop at their own stage and so I am sure he is fine. One subjection, is to teach him sign language. I have been teaching it to my son and he actually signs more words than he says. It's known that they pick up the sign faster and sooner than speech and it helps with their communication.

Good luck!

My son was the same way. He is just turning 2 and now speaks a little more. Boys are way slower talkers than girls, so be sure not to compare to girls. Also, all kids are different. Your son is probably more advanced physically that the peers you are conparing him to. Can he jump better, throw a ball better, etc. He is just busy learning other things.

Be sure that your son can communicate his needs and somehow "tell" you what he wants. Be sur that your son understands when you talk to him. These are all signs that your son is doing just fine. Talk to your son often using adult language as well as baby talk and simple sentances. Encourage him to copy your words. If he points to his cup and grunts, show him the cup and ask him to say milk. Wait for him, and if he attempts it, very excitedly praise him.

My mother takes care of a nearly 3-yr old boy whose speech blossomed at age 2+. Be patient, and I'd say, read to him as much as you can, and talk with him not as a baby, but as an older child.

Have you tried sign language? My daughter is 21 months and is just now adding words beyond dada and mama. BUT, she's been signing for months and has a ton of words. It's really helpful. There are many books and websites that show signs.

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

This website is a great dictionary. We taught the words, more, all done, help, please and even made up signs for the dogs names. She felt understood and was able to communicate and we had comfort knowing that the comprehension was there while we tried to be patient with the verbal skills.

We have been taking a Terrific Twos class and we were told to never compare your child to others. They all develop at a different rate. Our boy will be two at the end of July and he has a few words he can say and he has a lot of the jabbers all the time.

Get him evaluated.

If a professional says there is nothing wrong, your husband can't argue with that and you can both rest assured.

If there is an issue to be worried about, you want to address it as soon as possible especially because many therapists and consultants have waiting lists.

HI R. - Dealing with speech & language delays can be hard. My youngest son started speech therapy when he was about 19 months. I was in denial & thought he would grow out of it. At my son's 18 month check up his pediatrician suggested that my son get evaluated. I was still in denial but I said Ok because it does not hurt to get a second or even third opinion if anything to settle my anxiety. There are private SLP who can test your son to see if he really needs something or if he will grow out of it. There are also FREE services (for speech, OT, PT and more) available for children ages birth - 3yrs old. Depending on what state you live it may go under different names. Where I live it is the Infant Toddler Program under Dept of Health & Welfare. They will come (many times to your home) & do an eval on your son for free and if he needs services it will be free too.

From what you shared your son is trying to get communication across to you when he makes sure you are looking at him. My son was the same for some things. My son also started having temper tantrums because he was not able to get people to know what he wanted (juice, more food, play, etc). We were able to get in with a great SLP and helped my son learn different techniques on getting across the words he was trying to say but he was just having a very tough time getting them out of his mouth. He was taught some simple sign language and using that we had an almost instant change in attitude and behavior at home. My son is now almost 5 and still struggles with his language (still sees a SLP) but it is night and day different from where we started. For us early evaluation and intervention was & is KEY to helping my son be a success.

I say all of that to say, it is OK to have someone check out your son on his language & speech skills. Then you can help put your family's concern to rest. Just take it one day at a time. Enjoy your son & give him the tools to be a success in life. Take Care

You and your husband don't have anything to worry about! I am the oldest of seven and have two teenagers myself. Every child is different. I had one that walked at eight months and didn't talk until three. My other one talked in full sentences at just over a year old and didn't walk until about the same time. Tell your husband that every person learns things at different paces. Some things come easily and some things take a little longer.

Hi R., I don't think that you have anything to worry about. Your boy is probably busy with something else than making an effort to talk. Watch him closely and I'm sure that you will manage to figure out with what. To help him just sit down with him and look at books. Describe the pictures with simple phrases like:"Look, a frog. The frog is green. The frog is jumping.".Jabbering means that he mimics you talking, may be when you are around him you talk too fast, try to speak slowly and simple. You might sound like an idiot for a while but that will really help him to see that you are using sentences with separate words in it. My son started "talking" around 3 but he was exposed at three different languages, which usually costs extra delay. He even made his own language. I guess he saw mommy and daddy talking in different languages, and grandparents talking a third one, and became with his own. Stay calm and stop compare him with the other kids or if you do look for the things he is better at. By 3 years old he should be able to talk with simple phrases, if he doesn't, than you can start worry about and look for a specialist. Good luck!

First of all, calm down Mama...all kids talk at their own pace...I have 9 grandchildren and have daycared many infants in the 15 years I have been doing it. My girls are much faster talkers than the boys and a couple of them have not really started forming word that you could understand until they hit two and then you cannot keep them from talking.
If you are really concerned because he seems to be trying to talk and it makes no sense you could always ask for a referral from your doctor to a speech therapist and also get his ears checked so that you know that he is hearing when you are talking to him correctly and not mimicing how he hears it.
But...I imagine that he is just taking his time and they all move at their own pace. One of my little grandson's was very slow to sit up by himself and to crawl...but then he sat up and took off crawling...with in a couple of months he was walking. He is actually having symptoms of being shy with people and having separation anxiety at the age of almost three instead of the two year old range that they normally form that. The pediatrician says that he is just fine and not to worry.

The worst thing that you can do is compare the children toeach other...my two girls were exact opposites. One walked at 8mos and theother at 13 mos. One was very quiet and the other talked in full sentences by the time she was almost two. I am sure that he is going to be talking so much you will wonder how to make him quiet here pretty soon. Bethe is so cute...I can just see him trying to get something across to you and laughing at himself. Whatever he is saying is really tickling him...L.

Hi R. - I JUST wrote a similar message to this group about my daughter over the weekend. Except my daughter is over 2 years old. Everyone had great advice and wouldn't you know it, just yesterday came up to me and said, "I want more" in regards to her milk (she knows please, so we'll work on that next).

But mostly what everyone told me, was that there are options through the county if you're worried, but that most kids really develop on their own. But at 18 months? That seems a little early even to me to start worrying about developmental delays. Good luck!

my advice would be to get his hearing checked? has he had ear infections? My son had about 6 when he was a 1yr and he wasn't talking very much. We put tubes him and he picked up words like crazy. Even though he could say about 15 words or so his vocabulary grew really fast when he could hear better.

good luck!

A.

I think you might give it another six to twelve months before you are concerned. My son had only a few words words and some made up words of his own when he entered his two year old class.

In high school he was on the debate team and traveled all over the state. He got strait A's in school and won a scholarship to college because of his debating skills. (I quit arguing with him in tenth grade.) He traveled all over the US during college--free. His chosen profession is now as Minister. He uses words very well.

Now this doesn't mean your son will do these things--it just means speaking skills for boys comes late. Your son seems to communicate well. I think when he talks he will talk in complete sentences--boys often do. Then he will talk so much your husband will long for a moment of silence.

I hope this helps. W. C.

Hi R.,
My daughter who is now nearing 4 years didn't really start talking till she was 2, and my son who will be 2 in the beginning of July doesn't really talk yet and he like your son has his own jibber jabber like my daughter did, and with her I would focus on one word at a time like getting her to say please before I gave her a treat, that's what I'm doing to my son now and reading books to them and just talking to them like I would to anybody else, but yeah I wouldn't worry unless my child was over 2 and a half and still not talking because each child blossoms in their own ways.

Hi, R.!
Don't worry!! :)
My son will be 3 in one month and he just started to REALLY talk about 3 months ago.
I was getting worried about him when he turned 2 because he wouldn't say anything other than mommy or daddy and a FEW other little words.
My mother, who has a degree in education and has worked in early education for many years (she is currently BACK in school for more early ed), told me that if he wasn't talking by 3 1/2 or strangers couldn't understand what he was saying by 3 1/2 then we should take him to a speech therapist so when he started school, he wouldn't be behind his peers in speech.

At around 2 1/2 my son started saying more words and NOW he's asking questions and saying things in full sentences.

I think you definitely need to wait before you start to consider speech therapy. Your son is still very young and has time to learn to talk.
People would tell me how early their kids were talking, but I learned to not let it get to me. ALL kids are different!
Keep in mind that your son is the first born. He doesn't have another kid at home to communicate with everyday and I believe that makes a difference.

My advice for both of you is not to worry and to give your son time. He'll be talking before you know it and then you'll just want him to be quiet again! :)
Good luck, R.!

PS Aren't little boys so great?!

Hi R.,
You've got some great responses here, but I'll just add my few cents' worth. I've been an educator for 17 years, worked with kids of all ages for 24 years, and have a 3-1/2 year old and a 22 month old. =0) With that said, YOUR SON IS NORMAL! I think the advice given to you by one of the moms who had gone to a speech specialist is good advice. Mostly, talk, talk, talk.....talk about what you are doing, where you are going, point out things (look at the blue sky, the grey rain clouds, etc....), and, two things we've found to be especially helpful: 1. songs: play them, sing them (even if you aren't able to sing, they don't know the difference), dance to them.....Some great music that isn't quite so babyish, but is still fun: Ralph's World (both my kids and my husband loves this music) 2. (you probably already do this)read at least 10-15 minutes a day to him; this will do WONDERS!!!
Also, you mention you will soon be home and not having to work and I was just wondering if there is something in particular you are doing to make that happen? =0)
Have fun!
L. =0)