Most children have learned to say at least one word by the time they're 12 months old and it's unusual for a child to not be speaking at all by 18 months. But although it's not typical, your child's situation is not necessarily cause for concern, either. Boys, especially those under two, tend to develop language skills more slowly than girls, and some more cautious and reserved children tend to wait until they understand a great deal of what they hear before they actually speak.
Look for these signs of language development:
• Does your child point? Pointing to something he wants or to pictures in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech.
• Does he seem to understand what you say? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk. If your child seems to understand a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.
• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many children communicate what they need non-verbally, and in fact most toddlers develop a host of non-verbal signals. Until about 24 months the fact that your child is making some kind of effort to communicate is more important than a large vocabulary.
• Does your child grunt? This may seem a strange question, but new research shows that the little grunts toddlers make while pointing to pictures or playing with toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to be diagnosed with a language delay later on.
If your child isn't showing these signs of language development, you may want to mention it to your health visitor at his 18-month development check. (You are responsible for taking your child to the clinic for this -- you won't be called in automatically.) In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated very effectively during the pre-school years leaving no long-term problems.
Read more: http://www.babycenter.com.au/toddler/development/speechandlanguage/doesnttalkexpert/#ixzz1abU4P5rj
Look for these signs of language development:
• Does your child point? Pointing to something he wants or to pictures in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech.
• Does he seem to understand what you say? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk. If your child seems to understand a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.
• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many children communicate what they need non-verbally, and in fact most toddlers develop a host of non-verbal signals. Until about 24 months the fact that your child is making some kind of effort to communicate is more important than a large vocabulary.
• Does your child grunt? This may seem a strange question, but new research shows that the little grunts toddlers make while pointing to pictures or playing with toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to be diagnosed with a language delay later on.
If your child isn't showing these signs of language development, you may want to mention it to your health visitor at his 18-month development check. (You are responsible for taking your child to the clinic for this -- you won't be called in automatically.) In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated very effectively during the pre-school years leaving no long-term problems.
Read more: http://www.babycenter.com.au/toddler/development/speechandlanguage/doesnttalkexpert/#ixzz1abU4P5rj
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