Toddler Not Talking

I have a little girl who did not speak much at all at 2 years old. At 2 my little girl said only a few words, but she babbled all the time. I am a special education teacher so I knew about the the Infant Toddler Connection. She has been in speech for several months (she will be 3 in April). She is now doing much better.

It sounds like you little one is not too far off where she should be. I can understand what it feels like to not know. If it bothers you I would call the Infant Toddler Connection and get her evaluated. It does not cost a thing to get this evaluation done.

My daughter also did not talk much at the age of two. Don't worry to much though. All children learn to talk at different ages. My daughter is now in kindergarten and got accepted into an accredited school a year early. Have a blessed day. C.

I wouldn't worry! My daughter was a little slow to talk, but at 2 she was using small word phrases, and if you asked her a question, you knew she was understanding what you asked. So comprehension was there, even though vocabulary wasn't. She's almost three now, and she's talking up a storm. My daughter has an older sister that talks a lot for her, and she also takes after me...apparently I didn't talk till I was two, and I waited until I could talk in full sentences. I think I turned out just fine! I wouldn't worry unless you see something else that concerns you. Kids just wait until they are ready! Hope that makes you feel better!

Some kids do not really start talking till much later. Einstein and a number of other "geniuses" didn't start talking to age 4 (I believe). So don't sweat it! Maybe you have a little Einstein on your hands. My brother, who is also a genius, didn't start speaking till 4ish, and my mom say's he hasn't shut up since!

Hi C.,

My daughter is 28 months and just recently starting saying two words together and will occassionally say minor sentences, like "I do it" or "I see you", stuff like that. She and her twin brother are both speech delayed and we have been in speech therapy since last May but only started seeing the results in October. From what I've seen with my kids is that they will do it when they're ready although the therapy does stimulate them. One of the exercises I constantly do with them is that if they ask for something I always add one word to what they want and them try and make them repeat it. We make it into a game, when they do it right I clap or laugh, tell them Good Job and reward them with what they want.

For example my daughter will say to me "More Milk" and I'll say back to her "Want More Milk". I am not sure where you live but I'm in Montgomery County, MD and we have a program here called Infants and Toddlers, it's through the health and human services department of the state and it's a free program where they access your kids for speech and physical delays. From what I understand most counties have programs like this so I would say do a search and have them access your daughter. It's free for everyone regardless of how much money you make or don't make!

Good Luck and don't worry, her speech will come. Every kid is different.

Hi C.,

I understand your concern here, and I'm guessing it's because she's a girl?? I really wouldn't worry about it. At 2 years old, 2 word utterance are COMPLETELY NORMAL. She's only 2 and her time will come. When I had my daughter, she was very articulate and I didn't have to worry much about her speech. My son on the other hand was VERY difficult to understand. He is doing well now, and it was just developmental. He actually works on sounds on his own to correct them so we can understand him.

What I would do though to try to promote more words is to make sure you're trying to get the words out of her when she wants something. If she wants her drink, make her say something for it. If she wants you to pick her up, make her say something for it. You get the drift. If you want to try for the sentences, try to get her to say more words for the things she wants. Remember, don't expect too much too fast. She's only 2 and it sounds like she's developing completely normally. Don't try to compare her to other children, or even siblings (if she has any). EVERY child is different. I have 3 and NONE of them are the same!!

I would also sit down on the floor and play with her. Do a lot of imaginative play. I did that A LOT with my daughter. It promotes language development. It's a nice relaxed atmosphere and she may be more likely to join you in the conversation.

I used to teach the little ones, and I have 3 of my own, so I understand your concerns. Please let me know if there's anything else you need!

Hope this helps C.!
K. C

Duuude, not to minimize your concerns, but, as the Chinese say, "be careful what you wish for"...

I was SO worried about our daughter re langauge -- something I came to regret sooner than later. Once she started chatting, she never shut up! In fact she is talking (to herself?) right now.

I won't get into ages, because I despise competitive parenting, but our daughter started speaking in two-word sentences very early. HOWEVER, she suddenly stopped speaking altogether for about a year and a half (not a WORD), except to say a very occasional thing like "spider!"... When she did begin speaking again, it was in polysyllabic words and full paragraphs, and she was damn near ready to join a debate team (much to my relief, amusement, and chagrin). My husband still mocks me for being concerned about her speech, but it wasn't funny at the time...

Apparently this is not as uncommon as I thought. Comprehension is the key to quelling your concerns. If your daughter understands you, then you know she's FINE. She'll talk when she's ready. And "ready" means different things to different kids. I do hate the "timetables" that are currently in vogue with pediatricians and the like, though I know they mean well. Too often, in my opinion, they don't take individual children into account.

Trust me, you will soon laugh / rue the day you worried about this!

I agree with the other mammas that your daughter is on track. Another way to help build vocabulary that wasn't mentioned was to use sign language to reinforce and build on her existing language skills. I started using basic signs with my stepson who is autistic and with my daughter who is neurotypical. Both of them had a vocabulary explosion and are little chatterboxes now. A lot of preschools use sign language as do a lot of the kid's shows like Blue's Clues and other shows.

My youngest daughter didn't start talking until she was two years old. I worried alot and asked for advice from her doctor. He smiled and said "Her older sister talks enough for both of them. She probably can't get a word in edgewise." Now the table has turned. Both girls are fully grown and my younger daughter talks more than the rest of us combined. I might also add that she was valedictorian of her high school and went to college on a full scholarship and obtained two masters degrees, one at Georgetown and one at American University through fellowships at both schools. Truth be know, we can't shut her up!! Enjoy the quiet while you can!!

I am a Speech Language Pathologist and I can tell you that if your daughter just turned two, has a good single word vocabulary, and is using two-word phrases, she is doing just fine. Her phrase and sentence length should gradually increase over the next year so if she has not made progress in learning new words or phrases in six months, ask your pediatrician for a referral if you are still concerned. My son began using phrases and sentences a little later than two but we gave him phrases to memorize and then gradually built on them. For example, when he said, "milk," we said, "milk please?" until he learned to ask using that two-word phrase. Once he mastered "milk please," we said "want milk please?" until he learned that three-word phrase. Finally, when he said, "want milk please," we responded with "I want milk please" until he had a four-word request. Once he had figured out this style of language building, it was much easier to shape longer sentences about other things too. Imagine how far you can go with a two year old simply using the sentence, "I want ______ please." :-) Just keep using simple phrases that you want your daughter to use ("put in, take out, throw away, give me, more please" and gradually she will become more descriptive ("put blocks in, take toys out, throw away tissue, give me cookie, more crackers please").
Another recommendation is to accompany the sentence building with signs. Children love the visual cues to language much like they love to do the motions to favorite songs. You can either buy a baby sign book or might be able to find pictures of the common ones on the internet.
Hope that helps!
J. M. :-)

I'm a mom, a grand mom and a great grand mother so therefore no "spring chicken." However I had a son 44 years ago who did not talk until he was four, although he was social and even played the piano. Bottom line, he grew up just fine and was a National Merit Scholarship winner and today holds a down a job that pays him about $75,000 a year. I'm sure your little girl will catch up with her peers unless there is a medical problem. Hopefully you've talked with a pediatrician about your concern. C.

My daughter did the exact same thing. She could talk but wouldn't. However, she would do anything that I asked her to do so I knew that she understood. She was always on the Honor Roll with A/B averages. She excelled in all her classes. I spoke with another person that went through the same thing with her child and that child also was an A/B average student. I heard that they are taking everything in. Hopefully the same will be with your child. I wouldn't worry about it. Let her take it all in. She'll do great in school!!! Hope this helped.

Well if she turns out anything like me then her nickname will turn to Motormouth in no time ;) I didn't start really talking until after 2 either and my Mom says I haven't shut up since!

I have a couple of kids go to speech therapy for varying reasons. I would say if you have concerns it is worth chatting with your dr. and they can refer you for a speech evaluation. There are programs all over the country for free preschool speech. I have found the programs through the school district to be of good quality for the most part. There is a wide range of normal in development and you may find in having her evaluated that all is well. If she needs a little help--my experience is that kids think speech therapy is fun and look forward to going.

I have a niece who was using baby words at nearly 2 (ba ba) for bottle. After spending the summer with her, I found that her parents were encouraging baby talk. It drove me nuts. I spent the next three months using every intervention I knew. By the time I left she was speaking in two word phrases. she knew the words in her head but was not encouraged to use them. Her vocabulary is immense. Two by two is appropriate, and when they are ready with encouragement they will grow. Three by three is the next general standard. Using the techniques the speech pathogists have given in this thread are an excellent way to encourage your daughter. Every county has an infants and toddler program, but I wouldn't worry just yet.

It sounds like your daughter is right on track. Try reading to her more so that she would get comfortable in knowing how to use words. Talk to her a lot and ask her questions. The more conversation the better. There are some early 3-year olds that are still working on mastering their use of language.

Hi C.! I am a speech-language pathologist and I do early intervention (birth-3yo). I wanted to help put your mind at ease if I can. By age 2, we usually look to make sure children are doing exactly what you said... using 2 word phrases. It's also a good thing if they have an expressive vocabulary of around 50 words. There are a lot of children out there who are able to say a lot more than that, but keep in mind that they are above average. If you are really concerned about your daughter's language development, you can contact your local Infant and Toddler Connection to set up a speech evaluation. They provide services to children up to 3 years old throughout the state. Good luck!

My daughter did not speak in full sentences till shortly after 2. We had her evaluted through Howard County's speech program. The speech pathologist said everything was fine and "she would talk when she is ready." Driving home one day a few weeks later my daughter from the backseat said, "Mommy, I want a hotdog for dinner." I was so surprised, I nearly drove off the road! My mom told me throughout this process as I was worrying, "she'll talk when she has something to say!"
Good luck!

Hi C.

Is your daughter very physically active? My older son didn't talk much at 2 years mostly because he was so busy moving
around and exploring his surroundings. He is now 3 and a half and he speaks very clearly and all the time with a larger vocabulary than you might expect for his age at times. In other words, it may not be anything to worry about yet, if at all. Also, sometimes 2nd oldest children (like myself) don't talk until they can do it "just right." According to my mom, I didn't say a word until I could speak in complete sentences. Her thought was that I didn't want to make "mistakes" like my older sister who is only a year and a half older. I do know that a lot people say that girls speak earlier than boys, but that is mostly a generalization I think. Trust me once they start talking, it's as if you can not believe they ever couldn't.