18 months and no words. Wwyd?

[SunnyMuffin]

I keep reading in brochures etc that he should be saying 15-20 words by now but he says none, and isn't trying. Up until now I decided to wait and that he must not be ready but I have the option to refer him to speech therapy (covered by healthcare). Other people I know have put their even younger kids in this and I couldn't understand why.

More information- he does recognize and point to body parts, follows simple commands etc and babbles but doesn't attempt to repeat words or sounds

I did try teaching him to sign but the only ones he uses are poop, milk and all done/all gone

[skycheattraffic]

I would seek speech therapy/evaluation. You always have the option to refuse any recommendation they make but it would be useful to get him seen. FWIW, my DH didnt speak until well after age two. He had/has a very high palate and it was recommended he have corrective surgery. My MIL refused it and instead went the speech therapy route. He caught up quickly although he was hard to understand for a while. He speaks perfectly now. With ST/OT the earlier the better. You can always decide to stop but you can't ever go back and start earlier. I would get him checked out so that IF he needs it, he can start ASAP.

[graciegal]

My 3 mo son has a very high palate right now. I'm glad I saw this so I can be aware of potential issues. Right now he cannot bottle feed because of it. I'm a working mom so... yeah..... bad news.
 

[EchoSoul]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. My son is 21 months and doesn't speak well, or often. He repeats a few words, mainly, "Meow", "Ow", "Cat"(we...have a lot of cats, lol, he imprints off of them like siblings). And has the occasional repeat of a short sentence like the other day I saw, "You....child.." as I was picking him up because he got himself into silly business and he shouted back, "You, CHILD!" But hasn't done it since. I personally am not worried about my son.

Someone mentioned on here that I guess doctors aren't even concerned about picking up speech until after they're 2 years old. And I read on some site that the NORMAL range for speaking is anywhere between sometime after 12 months, to 22(or heck, it could've even been 24)months. Is your son an only child? I read children with no siblings, and boys in general have a tendency to talk later than girls or those children with siblings. It's all about imprinting..(that's why our son meows more often than talks, lol), and English is a TOUGH language.

[phathui5]

My 7yo and 5yo are both in speech therapy. I didn't get started with the 7yo until he was almost four and I wish we had started sooner. He is getting more understandable now, but it's taken (what feels like) a long time to get to that point.

[P.J.]

Especially if it's covered on your health care plan, why not just go and see? As another poster said, you can always refuse the recommendations or stop if it feels wrong after you start. I would at the very least bring it up with my pediatrician....
 

[gwydhenn]

I think it's definitely worth getting checked out.  He could be a late bloomer, but there could be an underlying issue and the sooner he can get help for that the faster and easier it will be to fix.  My 21 mo old DS wasn't saying any words at 18 months either, not even making animal noises.  He was evaluated by a speech therapist and she thinks he has an expressive speech delay.  He'll be starting therapy in a few months unless he starts catching up, and my gut tells me he probably won't as he recently stopped saying the only word he had. 

[sageowl]

My son was a late talker.  I started to worry about it at around 18 months, but waited until he was 2 (when it was clear that there was no progress happening) to have him evaluated.  He's been in speech (early intervention) ever since, and has been showing improvement.  

The evaluation process is rather straightforward and at least you'll know for sure whether or not you have a problem.  If you do end up needing it, early intervention is nice because they come to you and work with you/your child in your home (until they turn 3). 
 

[Asiago]

From what I have read, receptive language skills are a large indicator of whether or not a child is a late bloomer or delayed. From what you have indicated, his receptive language seems right on (but I am no expert).

FWIW, there is something called the Einstein syndrome, brilliant childen speaking later, as in first sentence at 3.5 or 4 yrs.  If your physician has not indicated a problem (hearing, tongue, hard or soft palate), he may just be within normal range. http://kelleyward.hubpages.com/hub/Children-Who-Talk-Late

Also 'words' are counted as anything that is repeated to indicate the same thing, dodo for dog, pa for hat and so on, so long as it is the same.

My son was only saying first syllables at 23 months and within two weeks the words were spilling out like a waterfall. WIthin 3 days, sentences of 3-5 words. It was astounding. I never would have predicted it.

He skipped the 'dog yard' 'water cup' phase and went right into real sentences and conversations, it was amazing to say the least. But that is just an anecdote, what matters is your child and his development. If you have concerns, I would address them. Not because of what the neighbor, the well meaning relative, or anyone else says, but because of what you feel or your instinct is telling you.

[tekcez]

Slp here. There is no reason not to get your son evaluated. If you have a feeling that something may be amiss, and an evaluation is covered by your insurance, the least you will get out of it is peace of mind. On the other hand, like a pp said, the clinician may discover an underlying issue, and if that's the case, early intervention is the best thing you can do for your child.

It's true that many children go on to develop typical language skills even if they don't have any words at 18 months. But if it's not a financial burden then, to answer wwyd, I would have him evaluated.

[Aufilia]

It's prudent to get an evaluation at this point.  Are you in Canada?  Because if you were in the US I'd say contact your local Early Intervention or Birth-to-3 program, but I'm not sure what the Canadian equivilant would be.  Here, you could find the local program by calling your local school district.

I know there are children who don't talk until later and it all turns out fine, but there are also children who benefit greatly from professional treatment.  By the time you know which category YOUR child fits into, you won't have the option to go back in time and do it right.  My advice is always to choose the safe path and get an evaluation.  

My daughter wasn't walking at 19 months and our pediatrician thought she was fine, and a million people had stories about their cousin/father/family friend who didn't walk until he was 2 or 3 or whatever, but we had her evaluated anyway.  She was in physical therapy from 20 months until she turned 6, and all that therapy is a huge PITA, but it was exactly what she needed. 

[LuckyMolly]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.He sounds fine!

[foreignerforlife]

My DS is 21 months and also doesn't use any words (unless you count "uh-oh"). We just had a check-up with the doctor and she was not concerned at all, but we are raising him bilingually, so a delay in speech is expected in his case. I agree with the above posters, though, that if your insurance covers it, it can't do any harm to have him checked out. At the very least, the therapist will give you some fun ideas to work on his speech at home. 

[erigeron]

I would do the evaluation if your insurance covers it. No reason not to have that professional opinion. Then you'll have more information and you can decide what you want to do next. 

[mkksmom]

What are your concerns for having him evaluated? I'd take a look at what is involved with therapy; it would probably ease your mind. Nothing wrong with some fun activities that promote growth in his speech. I know it can be a tough decision. I hesitated to have my dd evaluated for anxiety because i didn't know what was involved exactly. Turns out she loves her counselor, and all that is involved is giving her a step-by-step plan to deal with her fears. I can't believe I put it off, but I'm so glad I did take her. I do know that the earlier you start, the easier the process is in your situation and in mine.

[luckiest]

My DS said his first word at 18 months.  Lots of babble, but very, very few real words until 2.  He probably had...I don't know, 30 words at his second birthday that he used very infrequently.  Now, only 2 months later, he parrots everything I say and is putting two words together, picking up multiple new words on a daily basis.  I think this language explosion just happens at different times for different kids.  But like others have said, if you are concerned, by all means get him evaluated!  I brought it up with my ped when he was 19 months and really not saying anything other than "bye" and he said he didn't even evaluate for speech until after 2, just because there is such a hugely wide range of normal and kids learn in different ways.  Some kids don't talk and then practically wake up one morning speaking full sentences.

[rubidoux]

Both of my boys talked late, ds1 said two or three words from the time he was about 1 1/2 and then the day he turned 23 months he said nine new words in the first hour after he got up!  Ds2 didn't really say any words at all until 21 months, but he started picking up words regularly at that point.  I was worried, of course, but I kinda knew they were both fine.  And I knew they could understand me.  I think your little one sounds within a normal range.  

[homeschoolingmama]

My 7yo son was a late talker.  We had him in a program and they taught us parents how to work with them.  Basically saying the word for everything instead of just getting them down out of the highchair with a grunt.  I would like her to say down (da, de...whatever) before I get her down.  She doesn't do it yet.  I think she did once.  Oh sorry, my 19 month old isn't talking yet either.  She understands very well though.  Before you give their snack you can say a key word every time and then hold it back a bit, say the word and see if they will.  You don't withhold the snack until they say it because that just frustrates them.  So I will have milk and I will say ... milk.  Do you want milk?  Milk.  I would hold it expectantly and say milk.  If she says it I will praise her like crazy. lol  If not, she still gets the milk.  Then I can say Mmmmmm, yummy milk.  Just some ideas you could try maybe.

[Sukhada]

I'd go for the evaluation. You might find that they recommend a parent workshop for helping your child and/or direct speech therapy. You may want to think about the fact that some speech language programs are only avaliable at certain ages (generally 18 months to pre-school) and then they might not be covered outside of the school system. At least I think that's how it works in Ontario. Also, there could be a wait list for services. You can always turn down whatever intervention they suggest.

[erinmattsmom88]

If it were me, I wouldn't do a thing. My DS barely formed words that we could understand until almost 2, then quickly started talking a month or two later. Now, he is doing really well and is 33 months. I see a trend on this thread... all boys. I've heard boys are slower to speak than girls. My brother barely spoke until about 2 and then suddenly started spitting out sentences. I think you've got some time before you should consider evaluating him.