“How many words does your child say?” is a hot topic of conversation among parents of 1-year-olds. But keeping a word count can be more nerve-wracking than thrilling if your toddler’s the silent type. Most of the time, there’s little cause for alarm. “Just as kids vary in when they begin to walk, there’s a wide range of normal when it comes to speech,” says linguistics professor Katherine Demuth, Ph.D. So don’t panic if you start wondering if your toddler may need help with his speech.
The shift from babbling to real words is a slow process that begins shortly after your baby is born. Every time you respond to their cries, you encourage their expressive language. By 12 months, their gurgles and coos have evolved into varied consonant sounds (like m’s, b’s, c’s and d’s),” says Rhea Paul, Ph.D., editor of the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. “And your toddler’s babbling intonation should go up and down like a sentence and perhaps contain a word or two you recognize,” Paul says. (For instance: “Ball ooh da?”)
But even if your toddler says only a few actual words — by 15 months, tots typically say three words in addition to “mama” and “dada” — your child comprehends much of what you say. You’ll see this receptive language in action when you ask your toddler to follow simple instructions, like “Pick up your cup.” Your toddler should also be able to recognize their name, point to objects, identify some parts of their body and wave bye-bye.
Does My Toddler Need Help With His Speech?
If your 1-year-old is making only vowel sounds or if they don’t seem to understand much, consult your doctor. A hearing impairment is the most common cause of both expressive and receptive language delays. Most newborns are screened for hearing problems before leaving the hospital, but there are lots of babies who miss their test or who develop hearing loss later, says pediatrician Andy Spooner, M.D. Fluid in the ears or chronic ear infections can affect a baby’s ability to perceive sound and understand speech. If your pediatrician suspects a problem, the pediatrician may recommend seeing an audiologist for a full hearing evaluation.
Otherwise, most doctors adopt a watchful waiting approach until 18 to 24 months. But if your child still doesn’t say words by this age, ask for a professional evaluation. The language lag could be a natural developmental delay (common among babies born prematurely) that your child will eventually outgrow. Or your toddler may need speech therapy to give their talking skills a helping nudge. A speech pathologist can screen for other culprits, including apraxia, a disorder in which oral-motor muscles cannot form words correctly; and developmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy or autism.
“Rest assured that kids talk late for many reasons — and not all of them have serious long-term consequences,” Paul says. “Genetics plays a part, too. Toddlers who are late talkers very often have a family member who talked late, too.”
