Children reach milestones at different ages, and it is important for parents to talk to their healthcare provider if they suspect their child is not developing speech and language skills correctly. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders provides a list of age-related milestones that help doctors determine if a child is on track or if they may need extra help.
Speech delays are when children have problems making sounds that become words, which is the physical act of talking. Studies estimate that 1 in 5 children will learn to talk or use words later than other children their age. A speech delay is when a child has difficulties understanding and/or using spoken language, which are unusual for the child’s age. If a child has a speech delay, it could be that their ability to pronounce different sounds and words is developing slower than their peers.
A “Late Talker” is a toddler (typically between 18-30 months) who has limited spoken vocabulary for their age, while having a good understanding of language. Speech and language delays are when a child is not developing their speech and language skills at an expected rate. There are several causes of these delays, with one out of 5 children learning to talk or use words later than other children their age. A speech delay affects as many as 10 of preschool children, with infants who aren’t responding to a sound or vocalizing by six to nine months of age being a particular concern.
📹 Is Your Child Talking Late or Is it Autism?
A toddler talking late can be scary for any parent. In today’s video I’m covering the difference between a late talker vs. autism.
Is late talker autism?
It is not uncommon for children with autism to experience delays in speech development, which can be attributed to a range of underlying factors, including hearing impairment. Such delays frequently co-occur with other communication difficulties, including a lack of eye contact, social and emotional passivity, and a tendency to focus on objects. It is crucial to ascertain whether speech delays are associated with autism and to identify the underlying causes.
Is it normal for 5 year old not talking?
If your 5-year-old is struggling with speech milestones, it’s recommended to visit a speech therapist for timely evaluation and diagnosis. Early diagnosis can prevent future developmental delays. Hearing loss can also impact speech development, so a doctor should refer the child for hearing assessment. Neurological disorders like Cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or Autism spectrum disorder can also cause speech delays, affecting expressive and receptive language.
Why is my 5 year old not talking?
A speech delay occurs when a child fails to meet typical milestones for speech and language development at their age, often due to factors such as lack of verbal stimulation, hearing loss, or developmental disorders. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) outlines common developmental milestones for infants, including cooing, crying, and responding to sounds, with simple sounds like “goo” and “ah” being heard by 3 months.
At what age is speech delay concerning?
The text outlines the stages of a child’s speech development, highlighting that by 12 months, a child may not use gestures, prefer gestures over vocalizations, and struggle with imitating sounds and understanding simple verbal requests. By 2 years, a child can only imitate speech or actions, and by 2 years, they can only say some sounds or words repeatedly and can’t follow simple directions. By 2 years, a child may have an unusual tone of voice. Parents and caregivers should understand about 50% of a child’s speech at 2 years and 75% at 3 years. By 4 years old, a child should be mostly understood, even by strangers.
What causes a child to speak late?
Speech delay is common in children with cerebral palsy, particularly those with an athetoid type. Factors contributing to speech delay include hearing loss, tongue muscle incoordination, coexisting mental retardation, or a cerebral cortex defect. A thorough developmental history, with a focus on language milestones, is crucial for diagnosis. The physician should be aware of a child’s language difficulties, such as not babbling by 12-15 months, not comprehending commands by 18 months, not talking by two years, not making sentences by three years, or having difficulty telling a simple story by four to five years.
The child’s speech should also be largely unintelligible after three years or more than a year late in appearance compared to normal speech development. A generalized delay in all aspects of developmental milestones suggests mental retardation as the cause of a child’s speech delay.
Is it normal for a 3 year old to not talk clearly?
Toddlers often struggle with speech comprehension, especially for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds, for a short period. This can be due to a speech sound delay or a lack of understanding of words. Understanding the signs of speech problems in toddlers is crucial, as they begin practicing speech by making cooing and babbling sounds. Over time, these sounds become closer to real words, such as “bababa” or “dadada”, which helps them form words like “ball” or “dog”. It is essential to recognize when a speech evaluation may be necessary to help your child with speech and language development.
Why is my child not talking at 4 years old?
If your 4-year-old is struggling with speech or language skills, it may be time to consult a speech-language pathologist. Encouraging your child’s speech can be achieved through daily reading sessions, play that promotes verbal exchanges, and using everyday routines for conversation. Professional help can provide targeted support. By age 4, children typically have a vocabulary of 1, 000 to 2, 000 words, can form sentences, understand multi-step instructions, and tell simple stories. However, each child develops at their own pace, so some variations are normal.
Is it normal for a 6 year old to not speak clearly?
If your 6-year-old child is still exhibiting speech errors, schedule an appointment with a speech-language pathologist or speech therapist. The therapist can evaluate the child and recommend necessary treatment. Early intervention is crucial as speech-language disorders can negatively impact a child’s classroom performance. Language development involves expressing messages verbally and nonverbally, including using appropriate words, vocabulary, sentence formation, and grammar.
Is it normal for a 2 year old child not to talk?
Speech therapy is essential for children who are not yet speaking, especially those aged 2 or 3 years old. A speech evaluation is recommended by a pediatrician or speech-language pathologist to assess the child’s current abilities. Early intervention is crucial, as the longer a child goes without treatment, the more likely they are to fall behind. Parents should not worry about the time they have gone without treatment, as decisions only affect the present. Being a parent’s advocate is an important role, and taking the first step on their communication journey can be life-changing for your child.
Although speech therapy is not necessary, there are many ways to improve your child’s speech at home, which don’t require significant changes or expensive devices. Just practice simple, everyday interactions with your toddler to improve their communication skills.
At what age should you worry if your child isn’t talking?
If your child is over two years old, they should be evaluated by a pediatrician and referred for speech therapy and a hearing exam if they can only imitate speech or actions but cannot produce words or phrases by themselves. They may say only certain words repeatedly, cannot follow simple directions, have an unusual tone to their voice, and are more difficult to understand than expected for their age.
At two, they should understand half of what their child is saying, at three, they should understand three quarters of what they’re saying, and by four, they should understand 100 of what a child is saying.
To help with speech development and address speech problems, parents can spend time communicating with their child, even during infancy, through talking, singing, and encouraging imitation of sounds and gestures. Reading is a proven way to improve speech and language skills, starting as early as six months old with age-appropriate soft or board books or picture books.
Why doesn’t my 5 year old talk?
Children frequently encounter difficulties in developing their speaking and pronunciation abilities at a slower rate than their peers. Additionally, they often face challenges in coordinating the sounds used in speech.
📹 3 Reasons Why Your Child is Speech Delayed
1. Language Poor Environment 2. Autism Spectrum Disorder 3. No Particular Reason (Developmental)
My son is 4 and he doesn’t have a conversation but he can says all his needs, he make eyes 👀 contact, he likes to play with others kids, the only problem is that he can’t have a conversation. and they just did the evaluation to see if he was autistic and he is not autistic !!!! Omg I was crying so happy !!
My son is 2years exactly…he doesn’t talk …but he can recite ABC to Z correctly without mistake. And he can also count number 1 to 20 without a mistake. He calls out the names of people in the house and say nothing more. When he is hungry, he goes and get his food where it’s kept and when he wants to drink water, he brings an empty cup… when you call him, he doesn’t answer but will turn to you. he understands well.
My son’s doctor did an assessment and said likely has autism. We are on the wait list for a developmental assessment. The waitlist is 2 yrs currently. Babbling no words, turns 3 in a month. Has a speech assessment in a few weeks. Not a fan of playing with others, responds to his name 50% of the time, excessive arm flapping and tippy toes walking. I will definitely check out more of your articles .
Great article. My child just turned 5 he has speech delay he is talking but not as much as he should be for his age. He has no problem with lights, noise, sleep, change of routine etc. He loves playing with kids and is fine with new people but just cant make much conversation because of the delayed speech. He sometimes flaps when excited but very less. He got seen by the pediactric as the school wanted him to get checked and the pediactric thinks he has autism. Me and my husband are little confused with this as we never seen him have any problems apart with his speech if we thought our child had more problems we would have gone to the doctors ourselves. The pediactric has diagnosed him with autism and we strongly believe he hasnt got it he just needs help with the speech. I wonder if anyone else has exprienced this
Iv just found your website I’m feeling really lost I don’t know much about autism but with all the research and online tests I have done I think my 19 month old has autism but I’m fed up of people around me friends etc telling me they will develop in their own time which I know is true but my son was seeming to be developing okay but at around 15 month he has stopped pointing, no follow pointing, not playing or interested in toys, not listening to name, no speech at all, he understands some words but doesn’t follow simple instructions, no concept of danger, not interested in playing with children that much, loves lights and looks at them close up pulls to his face, doesn’t show me anything, doesn’t imitate. I’m starting to get upset that my health visitor or doctors keep telling me they can’t see me because of COVID-19. I’m in the uk and feel so helpless and upset with this realisation that he more than likely has it but I feel guilty for feeling upset about it x
My 19 month old is not talking. Quite worrying as my other 4 children were speaking by now. I know children are all different but as a parent I can’t help but feel concerned. She says mom and dad. She gives eye contact, hugs, plays with others, she displays intelligence and understanding. Understands words. Just the not talking is the only concern!
Autism isn’t a forever thing . As far as it’s symtoms . My little brother was severely autistic as a baby no eye contact didn’t want hugs etc. He acted like a dog . He liked to be pet when he was happy ate food from a bowl on the floor growled at strangers. Come age 9 little by little behaved that way less and less. He started homeschooling. That helped alot. He now speaks perfectly works online and manages his money better than anyone else in the family. I really think if you can homeschool them makes a big difference bc they don’t teach them much In public school and it probably causes stress bc many are very organized and are used to a schedule.
My son is 2.5 years old, he will be 3 in May. He does lots of labeling talk, knows animal noises, can count to 5, knows his colors and loves to sing songs. He understands simple one and two step directions. He isn’t using his words to communicate what he wants though. (He is already in speech therapy) He does good with imitating, he loves imitating his 4 year old sister with what she does and says. He also responds to his name. Unless he is really occupied he won’t. He also makes quick eye contact but won’t stay looking at me as I talk to him. His speech therapist although she was not supposed to share this shared with me as a friend that she doesn’t think he is autistic. But I still worry. 😅
I came into this article in tears cause my 18 month old is hardly saying da when I ask him too. I feel a lot better now. Still worried and frustrated but feel better equipped. Since this comment got a little attention I figure I’d give a 4 months later update. Luke is 21 months old. Since my last comment he has made a lot of strides in many ways even if he’s not talking like I want him to. I was wanting to see progress and I’ve seen it so I feel much better these days. His eye contact is normal now. He says dada and mama (which took a while) when asked and sometimes when not. He’s making lots of different noises and his motor skills are way up. Now that the weather is nice he is a very happy baby and we are outside in the forest all the time. I’m stupid lucky.
My brother is 5 years old and he can’t even say a sentence but one or two words, he points at what he wants luckily he does respond to his name by yes. Overall he been repeating the same stuff with not much progress. He did get a speech therapist but nothing really changed. We make sure he’s around other kids and he’s in school has classes for speech problems. It’s to the point where a 2 year old surpass him.
Hi Mary, I have a question related to autism and speech of toddler age children, do you think that healthy gut and proper diet has a big impact on children with autism? Since these kiddos can be very sensitive to food and texture of some foods, they like to consume very unhealthy rather foods and snacks. Thanks!
What is ABA ? When is it too early in your opinion? My son is 14 months, we are babbling, trying to step, I don’t think he doesn’t understand most things we say to him, he only used his index and middle fingers on both hands. He’s in PT & OT once a week ( I don’t feel like that’s enough 😢) and I am working with him at home but he doesn’t mimic, hes always overly excited when I clap, he’s not trying to clap on his own either. Also not doing and gestures, HOWEVER we just started to get him to hold and bring the spoon to his mouth so now we are working on him actully getting it out of the bowl. Thanks in advance
Hai mam… Hope you are good…my son is a 7 month premie born @1.34 kg.. now he is three years old.. his development is slower only.. he walked@ his 18 th month… He had seizure last February.. now he speaks very little.. saying appa Amma papa thaatha vaa .. when Im saying these words he repeats it.. understand what am speaking.. point out his needs.. and things like flying aeroplane.. etc.. but the problem is sometimes throwing things,biting, not speaking, spitting food when I feed him. HE DOESN’T CALL US.. is main problem.. WHEN WE ASK HIM TO SAY THIS WORD .. THEN ONLY HE SAYS.. MAMA,vaa,etc., . I am afraid it may lead to autism.. .. plz mam reply whether it is a speech delay or autism mam.. plz
Hi Ma’am, My son is 20 months old . He says more than 10 words n some short sentences, labels many pictures, some numbers and knows how to match color puzzles and numbers . He is also very playful and attentive. But past few days I feel like he is avoiding eye contact sometimes even though he is involved in playing with me . Sometimes he even ignores while I call his name during playing . He used to come to me running and smiling whenever I called him . I am very stressed and anxious until the level I can’t sleep. Is this a typical behavior in his age ?
Hi… pls my daughter just turned 3 November 2021, she respond to her name,knows her numbers and alphabets can also recite 2 later words and sing poems also. But doesn’t communicate or repeat signs. She cry’s when she wants something and doesn’t know how to tell you what she wants. She doesn’t know how to play with other kids too. Pls help
My gf just broke down after a conversation with the daycare about 1 of our twins. They will be 2 next month and say no words, numbers, or names. They dont point to what they want. Not sure what to do or where to begin. I kept it together in front of her but im tearing up as I type because im feeling like im failing at this..
My son is 7yrs.. M giving him brain tonic, not frequently cz i think he is more than ch aggressive after taking that.. But it seems there is much improvement in his speech.. But still his talks aren’t fluent, he thinks much while completing any sentence.. Moreover, he can’t understand commands,.like,bring me spoon from kitchn in green stand on right side.. Plz help, is he austistic?? And tell me what should i do for him to b perfectly ok?
I have twins of 20 months old.baby boy hv started talking but girl nt talking as i was expecting because she was talking in 15,17 months like mama or smother but now she is nt even babbling properly but onthe other hand she is very active she immitates,social,play very well in a group just nt talking wht should i do???
Thank you so much for this article! I am the proud widowed mom of Irish twins. My daughter is turning three in April and is diagnosed as level 2 autistic. My son just turned two last month, he is still not talking but he is so much different than his sister. It is so hard to tell if he too may be on the spectrum! Since I lost their father I’m doing this all alone. I was still pregnant with our son when he passed… I am just so terrified I am not doing enough or helping enough.
I’m a little worried about my son. He just turned 2. He doesn’t say much. Single, three letter words he can barely manage. Babbles a lot. Was a head hitter when he was younger but I don’t see much of that anymore. His receptive language is ridiculous. Completely comprehensive. He will do anything you ask him to do. Knows all of his body parts by name. Knows colors and shapes. Knows names. Knows food. He knows like EVERYTHING. He can sign a few desires by sign language (more, all done, pointing). He just doesn’t talk. Like. At all. His mechanic skills are nuts. His temperament is amazing. Very patient. Very happy. Very skillful. But he has no desire to speak.
Why is it that none of these articles ever addressed children who are growing up in bilingual homes? I’m American living in Brazil, everyone but me speaks Portuguese with my son and I speak only English to him. He’ll be 17 months old in a few days and he still isn’t saying any words. He understands many many things but seven out of 10 times he doesn’t respond to his name. I don’t know if that’s because some people in the family pronounce his name differently than I do or if he just doesn’t recognize his own name. Anyways I really really wish that somebody would address speech delays in children who grow up in bilingual homes.
Thank you for this article. My daughter just turned two. She can sing multiple songs and even quote movies. But when it comes down to communicating she isn’t good verbally. My husband and I are both mommy and she will say simple things like up please, hi, bye, bobo (our dog), Oo yummy, and some other things but isn’t good telling us what she wants. She will grab me by the hand take me to the toy or area she wants to play with and point at the object she wants me to play with her with but doesn’t verbally say what she wants. I called my pediatrician today and they are going to send a request to jhach to get evaluated. Like you said they most likely won’t be able to see her till may. Hopefully by then she will say a lot more. Crossing my fingers she is a late talker. I think she is developing in other areas more than speech.
Lol being autistic and a talker since the day I was born, but I called backpack,a pack-pack. I was shy in preschool and had to be held back one year before I could go to kindergarten, I was supposed to be in kindergarten at five but I had a late start. I threw temper tantrums and one year ago I froze up in front of my new neighbor, and today at 14 years old I’m very shy around anyone but my friends and family, some teachers. But I knew that from my own best friend Mackenzie that she knew before I or my parents did. And she did prove right by the time of diagnosis . some teachers like my old teacher Mrs. Veltema doubted I had autism, I acted normal and like a Neuro typical person. But I knew mrs. M could see the autism behind me masking it for many years. I guess you could say girls with autism behaviors are not even close to symptoms in boys. I am still very young and having ASD and ADHD, ( autism spectrum disorder) (attention defisit hyperactivity disorder)
Hi curious, to know how to deal with a negative comment ? I received a horrible comment from my boyfriend Christian who said, ” your too autistic to drive a Harley . you can sit on the back of my harley. I don’t want him to feel stupid for what he said but still, how can I tell him the truth without hurting his feelings?
My 1.5y daughter has no talking or pointing and little eye contact. She used to say dad sometimes; now no more. She likes to watch Little Baby Bum, interacting with animals in the article, especially little ducks. Superb motor skills and can clime up and down high chairs and beds. Good sleep and eating. Donot know how to sip, still in milk bottle. Maybe need early intervention; right ?
I’m so sad idk what to do 😢 … I feel like my son is Autistic … his dad don’t want to believe it . The doctor is saying wait until he is 18 months he is 15 months now he is only saying 1 word he does not respond to his name he does not point or he does not look when we point to stuff …. no matter how hard we try to get him to do stuff he won’t do it
My granddaughter is 1year11months, does not respond to her name or any other form of name calling. She does not respond to any instruction eg. Pick up ball, throw ball…nothing. She flaps, hums, rolls her eyes, turn in circles and since yesterday been squinting her eyes shut. She does babble though and tends to play on her own, also have a obsession with pillows, since before she turned one. She loves music.
My son is 16 months and he will babble words like mama or papa, but when I say things to him for him to repeat he just looks as if he is uninterested. When it comes to playing he’s smart with figuring things out on his own. Most times I don’t have to help him. He also responds well to “No” and “Stop” but won’t respond to his name sometimes. He’ll walk around make a humming sound at random times but it has became not as frequently. I know others have said it might be because he isn’t around other kids his age and he will start when he wants.
I have a 17 month old daughter. She does understand me. When I give her shapes and colors to identify (which one is the purple triangle?) she is able to pick up the correct one. She does make and maintain eye contact. She enjoys her toy piano and books, able to turn pages one at a time without ripping them. Plays the xylophone with good hand control. She’s not interested in a lot of different toys like other children, tends to fixate on a select few. Usually shows no interest in other babies and children. She will occasionally look at another baby, reach for their face, or try to pull off one of their socks. She does not make very many sounds, does say “baba” for bottle. That’s about it. She claps hands. Does not point or wave. She doesn’t share or hold out a toy to show me. Should I get her evaluated?
My son was diagnosed with Autism Mild to Moderate at 19 months. He is so smart, loving and caring. He is very vocal and babbles galore…. mamababadadagagaooooo says up, down, baba consistently but also says other words like kiss, more, cartoon, chuppie for his pacifier and more. He is now 23 months. If I get hurt he comes to give me his chuppie, hug and kiss me to make sure im okay or better. If he does something like throw food on the floor and I say, no, no, no, he will pucker up a kiss to be forgiven lol It is the cutest thing ever. I used to be terrified and heartbroken but for what….he was and is a happy baby. I am determined to give and teach him to live his best life just like everyone else. When he gets exited he sometimes flaps his hands or spins but I think its adorable. I can go on and on about how wonderful my baby is but I’ll stop here. My advice is don’t be selfish and put thise babies first by getting the help they need through evelations. Who cares if they put a label to get free professional services for your love bug JUST DO IT!
One of my nephews is 6 years old and yet he barely talks and only blurted out his favorite color but nothing else. My other 4 yr old nephew talks a bunch sometimes i can’t understand it but i can converse with him and he’s very engaging on the other hand my 6 yr old nephew feels like he has his own world and when he has bad behaviour his mother doesn’t discipline him at all even when he made his brother cry… it’s obvious that she favors one child not both…
My son is 4 years 4 months and doesn’t speak in sentences. It doesn’t appear he has an intellectual development problem. He learns quite well. So, I’m curious about his speech. We are a multi language home. My wife typically speaks Tagalog or Ilicano. He understands all three languages, but still only replies in one or two words.
Our 16 month old isnt talking or responding to his name. He is cave man talking tho lol we are getting him in to a speech thing that hopefully helps. He sometimes makes eye contact but trying to talk to him he normally never looks at us when we are trying to get his attention. He is interactive with toys and will play with us and dont show signs of weird body language except when he gets excited about something he will stiffin his arms. Im worried that he probably has autism. Anyone that comes over from my family says he normal but they aren’t around him enough to know.
Im a first mom of my 14month old son. He does not clap, can’t do high five, does not point, does not speak anything yet. I started letting him watch music articles and cocomelon when he was 4 months old. I think its the reason why he develops late? I didnt know it would affect him 😔 I focused on his motor skills but i did not thought about his communication skills 😔
My daughter is turning 3 in 2 months. She can label numbers and letters. But when it comes to communication she mainly uses gestures. I started sending her to play school now she started using simple words like mommy papa water open sit down etc. By 2 months of play school she gained around 10 to 15 words. Am still working on her vocabulary. But she is very far behind from her peers and I myself found deeply depressed because of that. Especially when she can’t communicate what she feels. I hope she catch up soon. I just want to know whether she is gonna be ok?? Is she going to talk like a normal toddler??
My boy points to things, expresses his needs like he wants some fruit or anything by name and understand some part of the language but majority of language he doesn’t get he is 2.1 years old, he counts and understands alpahbets but i am concern when we ask questions he repeats the question in his broken language but never tries to reply looks he doesn’t understand the language like – how, why, what how can i explain these concepts to him? However he is even good at letting me know what tyoe of day is today – like he says today cloudy/sunny/ windy. . i am concerned about how to explain him meaning of how, what, why, where.. everything for him looks normal just this part is off and i am struggling to get him to speak or trying answering rather than repeating our questions.
my son 36 month, he had vocabularies enough for his age in the milestone, but sometimes he don’t response when i call his name, or he doesn’t want to reply when i teach or ask the subject such as numbers, alphabet and animal names. which is he already can say previously, but not all the time he reply my questions. is he speech delay? or autism?
My daughter is 18 month. The doctor said she is delay in her speech. But we are multilingual family, speaking 4 language. She understand and respond to us when we speak. But she haven’t really talk….should I be concerned? Also my little brother and little cousin start speaking English more once they go to preschool. At home our parent speak our language.
Hello…just wanted to know if its late talker or autism… My son is turning 2 this feb 11 2022…some day he will turn his head when calling but sometimes not..he loves lining toys, flapping hands while perusal, he loves to dance and to sing…everytime I teach him to say mama he cant say it but when it comes to his dad he can say dad, dads, dy or didi… When I told him that im going to put his diaper on he will lay down and raise his hips and let me put his diaper and wear his clothes…and also when bath time…Im going to told him to go to his sister or his dad to go and wash he will respond by standing up and to go to the bathroom… Any idea about his case?
I hope someone will help me what to do here 😭 My son is 20 months old and sometimes he is doing tipping toe,sometimes he dont response to his name and not listening,he bubbling most of the time like we don’t understand his words, he shakes his head when irritable,and spinning when on the ground, also loves to turn on and off the fan
My brother points at things like birds and he points at things he wants, he makes eye contact but it’s brief, he knows his name but he doesn’t always look at us or acknowledge us when we call him, he also grabs our hand and takes us to things he wants, he does get shy with strangers, he doesn’t talk only says gibberish talk and he picky with food spits out anything he doesn’t like.
Next month my son will be 2yrs… he had physical delay, currently in physical therapy.. he’s walking but still not strong… he sits late, crawls late and walk late… sometimes I have a little trouble with him staying on his feets, he always tents to go back to crawling… he’s saying dada, nana, mama and baba… he babbles too but no hand gestures… sometimes his attention spans is short… any suggestions? His he just a late talker or autistic?
How do you recommend going about intervening in a coparenting situation. My child is 20 months and has some signs of autism. Due to covid we can’t schedule an evaluation our area. The mother and I are separated and I don’t get to spend much time with him but what I do see I see delays. His mother doesn’t want to belive he’s delayed but he’s 20 months and not talking per the guidelines and his age. He also doesn’t really respond to his name. His mother also has him on a lot of screen time which I think could be a factor. So I suppose I’m asking what strategies can I utilize for intervention from a distance or with limited time to spend with the child? Thank you!
Hello, my just turned 3. He doesn’t talk much. He can only say up, 2, please, apple and he can almost say cheese fully and ya instead of yes. He can count to 5 with his fingers but only says 2&5 verbally. He understands most commands and responds to his name. Aside from not being where he should be verbally he has a hard time sharing toys, making eye contact, and he makes other babble noises and yells a lot when He plays or gets really excited. I don’t know if it’s speech delay or autism and I don’t know what direction to head in. I feel lost as a mom
My son just turn 4 and he’s still not talking, he won’t even say mommy. I had 2 daughters one 20 and the other 15 and they were fine. But I had my son at 40 and I’m wondering if that was the problem. If I tell him to do he understands and follow instructions with no problem. He speaks only german. Have no idea where he learns german but it’s definitely german. My son also walks on the tip of his toes. Please help me, I’m so worried about my son.
Hello mam my son is 2. 9 year old. He is not respond to his name sometimes and sometimes respond. He imitate wheels on the bus understand some directions he do hifi shake hand and he makes eye contact while playing or when i cuddle him he smiles by seeing other children he makes I contact when he want something he hold my hand take me towards the thing. He sometime say mama, papa. He play with his grand mother and sees what we are doing everything coming and going but he is not talking. Is it autism?
Hi Barbara my 29 month old son started speech therapy a few months ago for speech delay. He has started to imitate some actions, knows some sign language and some words. Gives hugs shows empathy. Does respond to his name but not consistently. He makes eye contact for the most part. However he likes to line up objects, even makeup. Any suggestions? Thank you 🙏
My boy is a year and 7 months. He says very few words and ignores us often. He also communicates with us by bringing us to places around the house that he needs help with. He talks in his own “language”. He doesn’t have tantrums hardly ever, he’s pretty mild mannered. I always over worry but I’m struggling.
Greetings, Im a worried mom because my 3 years old daughter is not able to speak. She sometimes do toe walking. She doesn’t respond when we call her. But the confusion part is she can point at something, she is happy, she can interact with others. How can i differentiate if she is late talker or autistic?? Please help me.
Hello, my son is 2.5. His speech is very limited. He is making 2/3 word sentences but it’s still very simple and I’m noticing that children younger than him are on the same level as him if not passing him in the speech department . He follow simple directions but not 2 step directions… he is able to point out familiar things in books and he is able to verbally speak his needs but at the simplest level etc. “Mama, uh nana (banana)” or “Mama uh juice”. When my nephew was his age, he was able to hold a full conversation. I don’t want to worry my self by comparing him to other kids but I don’t want to be in a state of denial. I’m trying to figure out if this is speech delay or a mild case of autism.
hi.. my sons is 1 and 4 mons old.. im worried if he has autism.. he’s not pointing..but whenever he wants me to do something like we did abc on chart he will put my hand back on the chart.. to continue me saying abc.. when it comes to his name.. its not consistent..sometimes he can hear me calling him.. but when hes bc onto something.. its like he didnt hear anything.. sometimes when i said lets go outside come come.. he’ll come with me.. he doesnt say anywords yet..is this a sign of autism also? thank u so much
yesterday the doctor did ADOS test to my son for only half an hour and said that he may have autism, he is 25 months old, he has only 3 words, he made this diagnosis because he does not point to distant objects with his finger. My son knows his name, he has eye contact, he has no eating or sleeping problems, sorting toys, sensitivity to light or sound. No. And when I asked him crying if he would be like other people if he got an education, I got the answer that no,He wont. I don’t know what to think now.
Hi barbara. My son is 3 year old. The only word he’s saying are mama, papa. But sometimes he accidentaly said a few words but he’s not repeating it. He only said once. When we teaching him abc, colors, shapes, animals and things he easily learned and memorized it. But he’s not saying any word he just pointing the things we are saying. Also when we are saying things to him i know that he understand it because hes following what i said but he’s not saying any words. And i’m worried if its speech delay or autism? Thankyou
My son is my 6th he is 21 months and he doesn’t speak or respond to his name my other 5 spoke before 1 yrs old so I am worried . He started a few months ago saying mama only if he is crying but it’s rare kinda breaks my heart I really want him to say mama. He understands no because he will stop if asked if he is hungry he does a broken up whine so we know that means he wants a bottle. He is still on formula because he gags if you give him food. Could that effect his talking?
My 18 month old says some words but doesnt really speak or say words I can make out other than mama, dada, baba (bottle), etc… she is verbal and makes noise, seems ro understand things and engages in play with her sisters, her dad and i.. She is also not walking yet, but will walk when her dad or I help walk along with her while we hold her hands. Opinions? I am nervous. Her 18 month well child check up is coming up, should I bring it up??
my son just turned 2 yrs old. physically he’s fine. he runs, loves to play, laugh and be chased, he’s very strong, very good going up and down stairs. But he isn’t talking at all or understanding or responds to his name, i can’t get him to hold a spoon or attempt the feed himself.. he barely claps but only if i forcefully start him off by playing patty cake. He’ll babble sometimes but usually sounds like dada or baba but he’s not speaking just making sounds he likes.. but he mostly just hums all day. i fear he may be autistic.
I have a 2 year old (34 months) boy who is not speaking. He babbles/jargons and has recently learned mama and the word go but that is it. He understands everything even 2-step directions without me having to point. He knows all his colors. No issues with sensory and has perfect eye contact and social skills. He’s been in speech since 12 months and we finally have our developmental pediatrician appt coming up. I’m just SO confused as to what is going on with him. He is a triplet if that makes a difference? There just aren’t enough posts out there similar to his situation.
If you’re seeing Autism symptoms in your baby or toddler try cutting out gluten from their diet. Look for wheat and barley in lists ingredients and avoid it. At around the age of 1 my beautiful son started withdrawing from the world. He became obsessed with pacing, lining up cars and spinning their wheels. His eye contact was very poor and he was lost inside his own head. At times it was as if my wife and I didn’t exists to him. I was naturally heartbroken and frightened for his future. I didn’t understand what had happened to him and I didn’t know what to do. I spoke to medical professionals and, although they tried, they weren’t much help. He was assessed and scored very high for Autism. I didn’t sleep for about three days and was constantly reading about ways I could help him. After much research I found a study on gluten and the strange effects it can have on children. I promptly cut gluten from his diet and the change in him was astonishing. I got my happy little boy back within a few days and after a few weeks he was completely free from the symptoms of Autism. I’m not suggesting that this will work for everyone but it genuinely did for us. If it stops one family from going through the hell that we went through I will be delighted. If it works for your little one please get the word out.
Hi Mary, my baby is 3 years old and she is really smart she memorize things that she watched on TV she sing she count numbers till straight and backwards she say abcs and she even make words with letters a-z but when me or other try’s to interact with her she don’t respond she likes to play, running around but when you tell her to do something she don’t respond am confused, she is so energetic she sings all day long even when she goes to bed. She knows lots of words but she don’t communicates at all she repeat words like when you ask her to sing or count number she do it with no mistakes but if you ask her what is your name she will be like reporting the same thing what I asked her so what should be the sign that I have to watch?
hi madam.i have a question I have a 2 year old who can say up to 70 words he understand my command.he waves he points. when he sees car on the street he says that.he calls others by name like mom dad sister uncle.my 2 concerns are when he sees perfume bottles when it comes more than 2 he line up that thing and clap his hand.he does this with more than 3 cars.he doesnt line up everything.but he line up stones..and my 2nd concern is he doesnt make conversation.he says “come” he doesnt say mommy come. when he need milk he says just ” milk” and then he point the fridge.he dont say “want milk “we speak 2 language at home also he was on pacifier till 20 month..is it delay speech or something I need to worry ? thanks mam
My daughter just turned 2 she used say mum dad even call her name.. before soon as I would open he door she would run to see who’s at the door but don’t do it again. Last 4/5 months she seems to stop saying these words if we call her she ignores but she when we put the cartoon on from other rooms soon as she heres the sound she would run to watch. As the days going shes ignoring and not responding at all please advise … thank you
Thank you so much 🙏🏻 my daughter is 22 months, she doesn’t say any words at all apart from ‘hiya’ when she waves. She babbles constantly, reaches and points, pulls my finger to lead me to things and plays with toys well. I’m hoping she’s just a late talker but I just can’t tell if it’s a delay or not.
My son turned 3 years old 2 months ago. He doesn’t speak. He makes lots of sounds and points to things. I have heard him say Ma, Dada, thank you (4x), cookie (2x). But that’s it. He is very smart. Puts things where I tell him, knows his colors, understands directions. I can tell him to get dressed and he goes and gets clothes out of his drawer. I think he is a late talker. Some of my friends are concerned because he’s 3 and isn’t talking. He is also the youngest of 5 kids and the son of two music teachers so he gets lots of music stimulation. 😁 Thanks for your article!!
My son comprehends well, gestures, has about 5-10 words he used regularly and appropriately. Smiles, makes eye contact, has joint attention, we’ve had him evaluated and we are told that he is “too social” and also has good receptive language. but the things that are throwing me off are his sensory issues. He doesn’t do any of these excessively but he does spin sometimes, used to toe walk but has stopped, lines things up, and has handflapped when excited. He also does great at puzzles but has limited play skills, he can feed a doll and what not but does not really play creatively with toys. A part of me wonders if this is due to us giving him the phone to watch YouTube articles while we were working from home from the time he was 1 to 2 years old. He is currently 25 months, has been diagnosed with global developmental delays but a part of me just really wants to know if it is asd or not…. how would we be able to definitively tell?
My 18 month old daughter only says “no-no-no” she doesn’t say mama or dada, she doesn’t point to mom or dad, but if her bottle or sippy cup is up high she would point to it if she wants it,… she tries to sing along to nursery rhymes but not clearly though, when it comes to making animals sounds most times she would make the “ssss” or “nnnnn” sounds, she mimics the characters in the nursery rhyme but only to the songs that she likes, if I sit her down to teach her words she would just pull away uninterestedly, she makes eye contact and she doesn’t have a problem eating or feeding herself, my gut feeling is telling me that she’s just uninterested but on the other hand I could be wrong. Is there any anyone else who’s experiencing this or have had similar experiences with your toddlers? Do you think it’s autism
Hi my son is 22 months and not talking but babbles and say words here and there some with meaning and some just random he is in early intervention. They are on the fence with him and juSt sees sensory issue he responds to name he points to things he wants and will bring me things he definitely aware of people knows when I leave the room knows stranger danger and understands some commands but on the other hand he is very hyper likes running back and forth climbing running into things and his big thing is he will stare at his hand ever so often he been doing for a month came out of no where is that a visual stim?? Can u stim and not have autism? That’s his only red flag along with the lack of speech
Hello Barbara! My son is 27 months old he says mama and papa perfectly but everything is he says with his mouth closed and we can’t figure how to get him to open his mouth and try to pronounce things. We are concerned. We also have 3 languages in the family such as Russian English and Armenian. Please help !!!
I have a. 10 yrs old boy with a mild autism. His your brother 2 and half yrs old has deleyed speech, but has few words, like he can call every member of the family by their names, name few fruits and fews words. He also responds to his name and follow few instructions. My worry is deleyed speech and he calms down when at home, but hyper when outdoor. He relate very well with other children. Could he also be autistic? Is there high chances of him being like his elder brother?
My son is turning 4 next month, he talks and points and plays well with others but does not say full sentences. He walks on his tip toes, eats fine at home but gets emotional when it is meal time at school. He recently has been getting emotional over small things like me telling him to drink water and him not wanting to.
That’s my son, I believe he’s a late talker. He had to get ear tubes and os not completely successful in the hearing test. It’s crazy, because everything you talk about we experience. It’s not Autism. He’s 2 and says Stop and Go. He knows what he wants, and will guide you to it. Veey independent, and looks at you. However he is scheduled to have an autism test.
My son who is 2 responds to his name, points to things he wants and to show, brings us things to show or to engage in play with him, pretend plays. He never leaves me alone🤣. He tries to play with his brothers and other kids like handing them parts of toys they are playing with. Copies everything people do. I would say he has about 40 words and has said 2 words together. The only thing I am concerned about is he makes hand movements when he’s excited quite alot. I can hold his hands and he won’t do it. I’m just wondering if I should be worried.
My son is 18 months, he imitates actions form his nursery rhymes, and is able to say most of the alphabet and he count from 1-10, not all the numbers clearly though, he says a few words, such as duck, dog, green and frog, he stopped saying bird and he hasn’t said mommy or daddy. He doesn’t respond to his name but it’s evident that he knows he’s being called. I am concerned because he’s not as interactive or speak like toddlers his age or younger does. I think he’s delayed but my husband doesn’t.
My issue is my kids dr doesnt think kids can be late talkers or something. Many in my family talked late. We went to a get a autism evaluation like we were told and they couldnt give a diagnosis for autism only at risk for autism. She is 2 attempts to say her abcs, can count to 10 on her fingers and out loud and can tell you whay number your pointing at. I dont know if she just doesnt want to because she has said i love you twice and said wheels on the bus while doing the hand motion. Does have terrible tantrums like hits head on stuff. Can understand her name just mainly likes to ignore us we know she can hear
Hai..my girl child is about to turn 3 years in next months.not started speaking..speaks 3 words only..what she interested is sitting at one place and make a big paper into small pieces.. when I call her by name she responds rarely..she has no hearing problems..and she can’t understand what we speak,ie can’t obey my instructions
My daughter is 31 months old, 2.5 years old. She maybe says around 10 words, and she doesn’t say them well. The girl can hear a tack fall in the kitchen from her room at night 😂 so i know its not her hearing. Her latest favorite word is “bubble” from bubble baths. She just doesn’t want to say stuff unless its exciting in my opinion. No other signs of any type of autism or Asperger’s. I can tell her to do things and she will do it no problem. My family is looking down on me because of this, but then again it’s a broken record in that department. I needed speech class as a kid because i said some of my letters wrong. Have no issues today. This upsets me because i feel like my child is being looked at as being abnormal. Shes precious and sweet. Its so unfair to kids to have these expectations.
Hi Barbara, Thank you for these great articles. Very informative. I am father of a 2 year 4 month old daughter. She doesn’t make eye contact, nor she addresses me as dad, she also grabs my finger and takes me to where she wants. A lot of articles show these as red flags, although she recites Jhonny Jhonny complete rhymes, she also says number 1 to 10. I tried writing alphabets A to Z and she says all Alphabets from A to Z as I write them. I can’t understand how I can make her focus with eye contact. I’ll wait for your reply. 🙂 Thanks again.
My son is 19 months old n in my opinion he is very smart n response well, he learns stuff quickly, has good memory, knows is body parts, he follow instructions well n know exactly what he’s doing I think he is genius, the only problem I have is that he’s not talking just babbling n pointing, I think he is holding back n afraid to talk
Hei Dr Barbara my 3 years old son had ear problems and he have drain in the ear. Now he started hearing some words like he can respond when I call his name and started to bubbling a lot. If he wants some thing he grab my arm and showes me. he got help a few months ago from a specialist language teacher. Do you have any recommendations or advice, suggestions for me please 🙏 answer me I am alone and helpless 🙏🙏
My son just turned 3. He can talk and knows lots words in my language and English. Though sometimes it is hard to understand cus he uses two languages in one sentence. But he doesn’t say his name. He has been responding to his name since he was a baby. Whenever I ask his name he says “me or spiderman”. He is a big fan of spiderman. Should i be worried? How can i help to say his name? Why isnt he saying his name?
Hello mam! My son is 18months old…he babbling whole day….his imitation is very good and he follows my short and simple instructions, eye contact and name response is okay but he is not clearly saying anything or he is not indicating his body parts he is not pointing index finger for pointing….he raise his whole hand and scriming…. what I understand ??? Late talker or anything else?
Hi Mary, This is mamta. My baby is 18.5yrs old. She understands everything, if I ask her to bring this, that..she brings…bables words but I could not make her learn ABCD.. she is very smart with listening to things in terms of other ways like recognising objects, her daily food in her mother tongue language. So should I talk with my GP inregards to this..
Hi maam good am ..i have a problem with my grandson he is 1 year 6months . he can speak mama, dada, woww, he also brings you into the place he want a help or needs…he can say..broom ..he also understand the things he can hear..but my point is only few things he can speak..i get worried..because he also make tantrums mwhen his mad…and angry.. And when the times he heard loud voice ..he make nervous and come to you.or hug you.. Please help me about my grand son..
Anyone can plz plz plz answer me my 2 years and 2 months old son is speeking counting and abc but he is not calling us mama baba or daddy and if I ask him to give me thing even if it is I front of him he didn’t give it to me but he is good in following directions outside plz tell me what it should be
My son will be turning 5 this Aug. He is just a late talker but everything else he is beyond smart for his age he been doing adding and subtracting at age 3 years old and solving 100 pieces puzzles at the age of 3. He is left handed. with multiple language speaking in the house. He is not diagnosed with autism. The pred/docs said his brain is not chemical balanced what ever that meant. I know his mother was under surgery while she was pregnant with him due to broken forearm on slip black ice. I’m not sure if it was the anesthesia effected my son development. My son is anemia (low iron) and Thalassemia beta minor. His only 29lbs 7oz for his age his height is 3′-3″. My son is in Pre-K for two years and maybe going on for three years. He is in behavior class, Speech Therapy after school, along with seeing his Pediatrician online and his primary doctor.
hello My son is 17 months old but he doesn’t say a word before he was a year old he stammered all day ba ba ba but now nothing but he shows some signs, some behaviors that I have studied and I am worried about It’s a lot of fun, or fixing the wheels of the car and the cart correctly, I spin them, lie down, look at them and lie down when they spin comes around the table several times it also rotates itself plays with his eyes does not turn his head when called, in 3 cases he turns his head, in 7 or 8 cases he does not turn his head to understand, he understands me and the look in my eyes, sometimes he looks, sometimes he doesn’t but it also doesn’t copy me he doesn’t even say bye bye with his hand or the sounds of animals, he doesn’t say anything to her please help me with an answer
Hi Barbara. My daughter is turning 2 this month 19 of june . And he she has never pointed and she was talking before saying some words . She could say mama daddy and bye, and call her sister name from six months . She could count from 1 to 3 and she could say come all that.. When she turned 18 months and 19 months everthing stopped . And she was . walking with her tip toe . She got appointment this month for speach therapy . Its evry painful
Hi Mary Barbera,my son is 3 years n 6 months old, he knew capital n small letters, he new numbers 1 to 20,he knew much poems with action, he can speak 4 to 5 words sentence, but he started v lil communication 2 months ago,he started saying momi,daddy, water, juice,no(when need)he paly with siblings so well,he enjoys sliding n swing in play ground,he started pointing, when we point he looks .but he give me hard time when I bring him to wash room for poo n pee,but he loves to take a bath,,is it autism?plz reply
Hi, My little brother is 3 right now. He will be 4 in 4 more months. He used to say things like bye, Thank You, Dada, Mom, no, and ok, but nit anymore. Now all I have heard him say is one word in the past week. He throws at least 4 fits a day. He is supposed to get his check up in 2 months with the neurologist. I was hoping you could help me though. He also loves to take objects and tap or even bang them on the walls or other objects.
Hi my son just turned 3 yrs last week. He sufferes epilepsy, mild cerebral palsy and the doctor has diagnosed him with autism too. He doesn’t talk as yet. Has just began to take a few steps. Im from Belize so here we don’t have much terapist etc. I am planning to traveling over to mexico to engage him with a speech terapist. Thanks for your help.