Does this sound on track?

[AFWife]

Sometimes I get paranoid when I see kids DS's age talking when he doesn't...I know, don't compare children! Can someone with experience with toddlers let me know if this sounds on track?

At 19.5 months old

Words he says:

- uh oh

- aww man!

- pe-ew (like something stinks)

- duh (dog)

- book

- booger

- mama

- dada

- good bye (when he thinks no one is listening)

He signs:

- more

- eat/want

- milk

- music

- bath

- shoes

- socks

- water

- go (like go out) 

- love

- bed (bedtime) We're still working on this one...

He can identify (when asked):

- yellow

- head

- ears

- belly

- penis (he kept pointing so we told him what it was called) 

- fingers/hand

- toes

- nose (sometimes)

-  he can blow a kiss, give a real kiss, and a hug

- he also waves and says "bye bye" sometimes (it comes out "my my" which is adorable)

He also understands "no" and can follow instructions like, "Give your bottle to Daddy" if he asks for milk and Daddy is in the kitchen. 

We also did a "small spaces" activity today. I gave him toothpicks and an empty salt shaker. The point was to put the toothpicks in the holes in the top. I thought it might give him at least a bit of difficulty at first. Nope, not this child. He had no problem with it...and I only had to show him ONCE.

When he stacks blocks he has no problems stacking 8+ at a time...and that's on a flat surface. He did this on his truck last week: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=15601712&l=144314435d&id=500910312  

DH also showed me that DS can take those wooden peg things (that go in one of those toys where you hammer it and flip it over to hammer again) and stack them 3 high with little difficulty.

Thanks in advance!

[crunchy_mommy]

He sounds on track to me!! It sounds like he's focusing more on dexterity/fine motor skills than language right now. I also think that based on the words you listed, he may be saying more words than you realize. I can't tell you how many times I realized DS has been saying something for months & I just didn't understand it!! For ex. he used to always say 'gnacht' and turns out he was saying 'stick' -- a lot of his first words didn't sound like the words themselves. The assortment of words you listed (varied sounds, varied meanings, altered pronunciations) makes me think maybe he speaks more than those words & it's just hard to recognize/understand what he's saying, though I could be wrong!

It sounds like he might be speaking a little less than most kids his age but I think as long as he's saying a few words & making other attempts to communicate, he's probably just fine & will start talking a ton more in his own time...

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

He sounds on track to me!! It sounds like he's focusing more on dexterity/fine motor skills than language right now. I also think that based on the words you listed, he may be saying more words than you realize. I can't tell you how many times I realized DS has been saying something for months & I just didn't understand it!! For ex. he used to always say 'gnacht' and turns out he was saying 'stick' -- a lot of his first words didn't sound like the words themselves. The assortment of words you listed (varied sounds, varied meanings, altered pronunciations) makes me think maybe he speaks more than those words & it's just hard to recognize/understand what he's saying, though I could be wrong!

It sounds like he might be speaking a little less than most kids his age but I think as long as he's saying a few words & making other attempts to communicate, he's probably just fine & will start talking a ton more in his own time...

He babbles constantly. A lot of vowels noises and "m" and "n" sounds. He *can* do other sounds but I guess just chooses not to? (Like "good bye"...he was saying it until he realized I was listening)

It only takes him a day or so to pick up a new sign. (Ack, I forgot, he knows "apple" as well) It was the same with body parts...it took 10mins one day to teach him "head" "nose" "ears" and to blow a kiss...

[crunchy_mommy]

He sounds super smart! Maybe you guys are just meeting his needs so well that he feels no big need to learn more words right now?

You can try writing down everything he says/signs for a day or two & you might find even more words you'd forgotten :)

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

He sounds super smart! Maybe you guys are just meeting his needs so well that he feels no big need to learn more words right now?

You can try writing down everything he says/signs for a day or two & you might find even more words you'd forgotten :)

After I finished typing he signed that he was "all done" with his snack! lol

Not so many "words" really...mostly signs. I guess we do meet his needs fairly quickly. We teach/learn a sign as it becomes a bit part of his life (like "bath" or "go") so he can tell us if that's what he wants.

[sapphire_chan]

Yep, on track or ahead of target.

[altoidmandy]

That is pretty much exactly where my son was at 19 months- Lots of babbling but not a ton of real words.  Around 20 or 21 months his vocab took off and now he won't shut up.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by altoidmandy 

That is pretty much exactly where my son was at 19 months- Lots of babbling but not a ton of real words.  Around 20 or 21 months his vocab took off and now he won't shut up.

This is encouraging. Sometimes I can't help but worry because he doesn't TALK...sometimes he tries to mimic words but they don't come out right. (Like "bedtime" is "ma-na"...it's said with the same inflection)

[CI Mama]

I read somewhere that the way kids develop language, they use either sign or speaking the word, but they don't often do both for the same word. My DD was very verbal and only learned one sign ("please") but it took her forever to learn to say "please" out loud! We'd ask her to say "please" and she'd do the sign. To this day even though she speaks in full paragraphs, when she says the word "please" she also signs it.

Anyway, I think your son's combined vocabulary of spoken words & signs looks right on track.

Language development is crazy...once the flood gates open, they learn at a remarkable pace!

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by CI Mama 

I read somewhere that the way kids develop language, they use either sign or speaking the word, but they don't often do both for the same word. My DD was very verbal and only learned one sign ("please") but it took her forever to learn to say "please" out loud! We'd ask her to say "please" and she'd do the sign. To this day even though she speaks in full paragraphs, when she says the word "please" she also signs it.

Anyway, I think your son's combined vocabulary of spoken words & signs looks right on track.

Language development is crazy...once the flood gates open, they learn at a remarkable pace!

LOL This reminds me...DH wanted to try to get DS to SAY milk. So, while holding his bottle, he said, "Say milk." DS signed it. He shook his head and said, "No, SAY milk." DS looked at him like he was totally stupid and signed it with more urgency. DH laughed and said, "Okay, nevermind then. I guess as far as he's concerned it's the same thing."

[kismetbaby]

My DS is only 14m which I know is a lifetime away at this age, but I was very encouraged to read this thread, b/c my son has literally one spoken word "mama" (which mostly means nurse-LOL).  But he has probably 2 dozen signs and uses them regularly.  He is also very dexterous like your son and picks up on physical things very quickly. . .but spoken language not so much (yet).  He calls DH mama too.  I can say "where is dada" and he'll point to DH and say very clearly "mama", then I'll ask where is mama?" and he'll look at me and say again "mama".  He knows so much of what I say to him and will follow simple commands.  But just isn't able or interested in talking even when most of his friends of the same age have a half dozen words they use.

Mostly I don't worry about it. . .I expect that by age 2 he'll have plenty of words and I'll miss the baby babbles.

[meetoo]

If you are really worried about his speech you can call for an evaluation. My almost 2yr old was evaluated at 20/21ish months. She had about that many words. She scored delayed, but not enough for services.   My DD is fine in all other areas, so I'm going to give her until the spring before I call again. My son had a speech delay and received services, but I'm not sure if they actually helped.  I think it was more he talked when he was ready. Once he started within 3 months  he was a precocious talker..... I kind of think DD might be the same. The speech therapist did tell me they expect a lot more from the kids once they turn 24 months. That is the age my son was when he qualified for services.