Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
A Two-Year-Old of Few Words | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My two-year-old is not speaking or verbalizing like others his age. His hearing is well within the normal ranges. When he wants something he says "p'ease" or "ish" at the fish tank, but no "mama" or "dada"! Is there a time frame when speech should occur? We are told that my husband didn't speak until he was three. Thank you!
— KC in Baltimore, MD | | | ANSWER |
October 20, 2000 | | | Dear KC,
The problem you describe is common, especially in boys. As a rule of thumb, I expect children to be using about 25-50 different words by age two years, and to be linking two words together into mini-sentences such as "Daddy here" or "My truck."
If your son is not doing this yet, don't panic. Most boys who are slow to use words end up being just fine. If your child seems to understand everything you say, is able to make his needs known, seems to play normally, and can do other things at an age-appropriate level, the odds are that the problem is simply a speech delay. By age three or so, he'll almost certainly catch up with his more talkative peers. It's also encouraging that you mentioned that your husband was slow to talk. As you probably suspect, this tendency does indeed run in families, so it's another indication that your son's language ability will pick up soon.
However, there is a chance that this is a sign of a more serious problem, such as a hearing defect or a developmental delay, and it's a good idea to discuss the matter with your son's healthcare provider. Even if you are pretty certain that your son hears well, a formal evaluation still might be in order--children with limited hearing often learn to compensate and fake it convincingly. If there is a hearing or developmental problem, of course, you want to take care of it as soon as possible.
You'll also find additional information on our website; go to the Behavior and Development section, find the Healthy Development scroll box, and select Language: Talking and Understanding.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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