I know I shouldn't worry (story of my life!), but I do. Naomi says nothing. She will be one year old next thursday. She says dad dad sometimes but very rarely and mum mum only when she is sad. She squeels in delight etc. but she doesn't do anything else.

She is just so quiet that I am beginning to worry. there is no "ta" or "no" or any form of speech. And she is just quiet.

Should I be worried? When should they talk? Being my third child I know that Jonah and Hannah were saying heaps of words by now....

Josh is 19mths and just now getting some words that he uses often - Ba for ball, dee-gee for doggie - but no momma or daddy yet. :(

I think every kid develops differently. My Ped said that it's very important to read to babies every day. We've been reading to Josh since he was a newborn and he loves books.

My older one was talking in two or three word phrases at 8 months old...however, CADY just started talking around her second birthday. She hardly said anything whatsoever until just after her 2nd birhtday. There's a wide range of "normal", by the way. And I think younger kids start talking later than their older siblings cuz the older sibs tend to do a lot of talking for them.

Same here Nic... Jack is almost 17 months old and he says dada and mama when he is mad... he says dog and hi and bye and that's about it.
I asked about it and I was told not to be concerned. The early intervention woman told me that their speech takes off at 2 years of age. I wouldn't worry just yet, just talk to her alot... which I'm sure that you do.. but everything you do. I notice myself, when Jack wants something he does this thing with his hands, he reaches and grabs with his hands and kind of grunts and I know what he wants so I get it, now I've started saying," cracker" or "cookie" bla... KWIM?

I wouldn't worry just yet. :hug:

I can't tell you anything but listen to these ladies they will save your sanity....for real...they have pulled me out of this same hole more than once.....from one worry wart to another..... big huge :hug:

i guess it isn't so much of worry that she doesn't say "words", but that she doesn't say anything, or even make much sound for that matter!.

Does she respond to you? To noises? Interact with you and her surroundings? At one year it is early to be worried about no speech, but I would wonder about no sounds. Does she giggle? Laugh? Look you in the eye? Turn in the direction of noise? Dance to music? Notice familiar voices and respond even if it is non-verbal? Does she communicate with you in any way at all? Again, non verbal is fine. Does she understand when you are going to change her diaper, give her a bath, put on pjs, etc.?

Again, it is early to worry. Often older siblings do provide competition for younger ones in a house. If she is still not progressing in the next six months I would book early intervention. One thing I have learned with having two speech and language delayed kiddos is that the earlier the intervention the better. Just to note, my middle child is off the charts GIFTED with speech. Go figure! lol

nikki, my best friends baby is 19 months old and perfectly healthy but does not say anything but mumma or dad. so i guess it just takes longer for some. also have you ever thought that maybe the older kids may be speaking for her so she doesnt have to? i know that was the case for a family that i was nannying for a while back. their 2 year old wasnt speaking because the older ones were always speaking for him. i had to stop them and then he actually started realising that he had to speak to get something and he did! so i dont know if this would be the case but thats my experience. im sure she will speak in her own time. just dont worry! :hug: :-)

Nik, my Ava is almost 13 months and does not say Daddy or Mommy either. Not even Mama. There's been a "dada" a few times addressed to me, but that's it. I wonder that too.
She does not say "No". For the most part, when she wants something, she whines. I hope it's not her personality. LOL
I would just read to her and talk to her all the time, esp pointing at things and repeat to her what they are.
In my house, we have a lot of pictures in frames of our family and everyday we go around and point at everyone and say who they are. She knows and smiles.

As long as all her other developmental skills are there that are on time, I wouldn't be concerned. Carson is 18 months old and barely says mom and dad, he blurted out jinxy and kitty kat the other day (one time only) and he says bye bye.. thats all he says I was told that its okay at this point (he does right now jabber) I was ready to ship him to the local speach therapist but I am going to give it another few months to see.

Ditto to what everyone else said - it is so hard not to worry as our kids are under microscopes these days. I wanted to add the following:

The one thing I know that you're worried about is the silence. Allie did this for a period of 2 weeks or so and it scared the crap out of me. She had a few words and then just went silent on us. We got to thinking about it and realized that she was learning to walk at that time. The docs and others told us that sometimes when kids focus on one skill, they lose another. Sure enough, once Allie mastered walking, the babbling and words came back. She's 18 months and only says mama, dada, up (and that' s more of a "uh" than up sound), ball, and baba. I think that she said bye bye to me this morning and I'm pretty sure that she said pooh bear this weekend, but who knows. Most of her favorite sounds are "ba" sounds, but she is jabbering away now and I am trying not to worry, although I know it's hard. As Debbie said, I have stressed like mad over this too, but all you can do is wait and see and keep talking, reading, explaining things to them.

Is your little one focusing on a particular gross motor or fine motor skill right now?

Oh, one more thing, the people from EI said to talk in 2 to 3 word sentences and that's it. She said that's all that our kids can process - so instead of saying "go get your ball, Allie" we say "get ball" or "get ball Allie." It's quite difficult to master, but once you start doing it, it makes a difference (it did for us and now Allie gets me a diaper when I ask her to do so!).

:hug: :hug: :hug:

Christyn

I tend to say all in due time. Me for example did not utter a peep, besides screams per my mom, until I was 2 1/2. Once I started then apparently I never stopped.

I think it does depend on the child and even their persoanlity. Things are to by the book.