21 month old not speaking? - Toddler

Sarah85_x

10/12/2010 at 17:50

Louis is 21 months and I know he can say words... we had quite a range of words at about 12 months.

Something has changed... he refuses to speak now!!

It is a complete battle to get a word out of him. I ask him to say please... he sort of humms the word to me! Or I say "more?" and he grunts!
Everything is a grunt or a whinging noise!!

He says "mummy" "daddy" and "babba" but refuses completely to say words.

Do you think this is a phase or should I be doing something specific to get him chatting? He talks baby babble quite a bit, but no recognisable words.

Sarah, Louis and Theo xx

John Nettles is my hero

Lambchop80 Platinum member

11/12/2010 at 06:50

So he still baby babbles but has stopped saying words ??

Charlotte is 20 months and has lots of words but no sentences and still babbles quite a lot (but looks like she thinks she is holding a conversation), all I do is just continue talking to her as I normally do and figure she'll pick up more words and put together sentences in her own time.

If he was saying words before but now refusing could it just be a definant streak knowing you want him to say words ? In that case maybe you just carrying on as normal might help and not pushing him to speak may prompt him to use his words again ?

Mummy to 2 beautiful children and one on the way !

Sarah85_x

11/12/2010 at 09:02

I did think it was something to do with us moving house, because it all happened in one go.
He uses the odd word, and if pushed hard enough, he will repeat words but the more I ask the more he refuses...
Maybe he is just being defiant Lambchop. It worries me that like a switch he just doesn't pick up words at all now.
My mum said he might just start talking properly all of sudden one day. Like he has been storing up words!
I'm not so sure, but I hope so!!

Thanks for your reply xx

John Nettles is my hero

PrincessAndPuppy Platinum member

11/12/2010 at 15:50

My dad stopped giving in to me when I was grunting and pointing at things and refused to give me it and told me to ask for it. If I didn't know the word he would say something like 'do you want the spoon?' and id have to say spoon, or atleast try before he'd give me it..does that make sense? Hth. X

Previously Princess87

Sarah85_x

11/12/2010 at 16:50

Yes it does, we do this... I say "use your words" lol. "would you like your cup?" and he grunts. So I say "say cup" and he grunts. Then he has a complete tantrum. I don't give it to him, but I wait... he stands up (after rolling on the floor!! haha!) and grunts!!
I feel like I am getting nowhere

John Nettles is my hero

PrincessAndPuppy Platinum member

11/12/2010 at 17:06

Aww bless..I think it's a battle of wits more than anything then. Ignore and walk out the room I say lol. Does he have a bigger sibling? X

Previously Princess87

xMrsNoNamex Platinum member

11/12/2010 at 18:31

I would say he is been defiant as annoying as it :lol: My dd does this when we REALLY want her to do something... like teaching her a song, if we try and do it too much she will just shout NO and start completely ignoring you and then wont do it again! Same with counting to 10.. we asked too much and now she says she cant do it (we know she can lol)

I would just carry on chatting loads but dont try and force anything out of him and he will start talking.

Does he understand instructions? Like Go and get your shoes? Pass me the wipes? Etc ... if so then there is nothing to worry about

Love My Babys Very Muchly!

mrsh01

12/12/2010 at 04:50

Hi, not that I am much help but my DS1 is exactly the same, he has just turned 2, and we have had him evaluated by speech therapists and paedetirican as I was so worried and they both said it will come, but definately a positive thing he understands... I also think he is defiant as when he makes some sounds/attempts at words I give him loads of praise and then I try to get him to do it again, and he just grunts...we get much more success when we just don't comment! DS1 is getting reviewed again at 2 and half, to see if there is any improvements! x x x

Sarah85_x

12/12/2010 at 16:59

He does understand instructions... "pass mummy your shoes" or "it's behind you"...

My mums says he understands far more than he says. (annoying child!!! lol)

Oh, and no he doesn't have an older sibling, but he does have a new little brother... Theo is 13 weeks old.
He loves his brother so much, (won't say Theo - very reluctant to say his name).
Louis says "night Mummy, night Daddy, night babba"... he just calls him Babba. Which is good enough I suppose!! xx

John Nettles is my hero

laranchloe Platinum member

12/12/2010 at 17:17

Hi hun,

it's def defiance hun if he is anything like Chloe!!! She can talk, no problems there but is older at nearly 33mths HOWEVER she will often whine in asking for something e.g. just say uuuuuuhhhhh and point at it. We now calmly say to her 'Chloe you can talk, say what you would like please'.

It's like Please and Thank you - she frequently says them without prompting but some days its like she can't be bother and I get fed up of reminding her!!!

You know he can so not like he never has said. there's been a lot of changes in his life with his brother arriving, moving house etc and just generally changing. As others have said just keep talking to him and involving him and he will probably one day surprise you and just talk back at you in a complete conversation way!!!

he may refer to Theo as babba as you probably referred to him as a baby when either you were pg or Theo was little?? so kinda makes sense to me anyway?? Chloe saw her little boyfriends new baby sister the other day - she can say her name but kept calling her baby so they all do it to some extent.

Lara xx

Lara xx

MyAngel_MyWorld Platinum member

12/12/2010 at 18:03

Im sure this is usually just them not wanting to do it. My LO is 22 months and i cant keep her quiet for 2 seconds but she is such a babbler and even as a newborn just made noises all the time and everyone always said she would be a chatty one. She has been talking in sentences for a while now so they were right. I have a few friends with toddlers and the difference in speech is amazing - my next door neighbours toddler is the same as Louis and can say words but just doesnt want to and prefers to point and moan. He will get there - my godson is 3 now and talks perfectly but this time last year my friend was so worried e would never talk. He soon caught up tho! Just keep on chatting to him like usual and he'll soon decide to join in.

Sarah85_x

12/12/2010 at 18:12

Our neighbours little boy is a month younger and his speach is amazing!! He shows Louis up!! haha!

I was bathing him earlier and whilst winding his toy duck up, I kept saying "say DUCK Louis..." and he was reaching and moaning, he then looked directly at me, grinned and said "du...." then stopped himself!
What a monkey!?!!!! xx

John Nettles is my hero

MyAngel_MyWorld Platinum member

12/12/2010 at 18:15

Id say you defo have a defiant little monkey there

) hehe

Sarah85_x

12/12/2010 at 18:20

speach?! Speech!! haha!

Yes, just got to work on him now and get him talking!

Thanks for the reassurance... so relieved!!! xxx

John Nettles is my hero

MyAngel_MyWorld Platinum member

12/12/2010 at 18:30

People dont usually thank me because im on the other end with a nonstop chatterbox but i am so close to my godson and my best friend was tearing her hair out about him not speaking when he was the same age as Louis so i really do understand!!! my neighbour keeps comparing her LO to mine too and i keep telling her off!!! I dont know why Bethany speaks so well - her niece was the same though so maybe she copies her??? its not always fun anyway because she bosses me around!!! i told her it was bedtime tonight and she said no mummy beth not tired go downstairs!

Sarah85_x

12/12/2010 at 18:38

Haha, bless her!!
I'd love Louis to talk to me like that... I asked him a couple of weeks ago "Louis, can you say - I love you?"
Louis replied "yeah".
Hahaha!!!! Brilliant!

I am awful for comparing him to other kids though... especially other boys. I suppose it is a learning curve for me and shows me they really all do do things at different paces xx

John Nettles is my hero

flickaty

16/12/2010 at 11:32

im sure its more him not wnating to than actually not being able to. my friends little boy is 2.5 and only just starting to say words now. she is always compairing him tofreya who has been speaking in sentaces since about 17 or 18 months and i tell her not to!! they are all different and their is nothing wrong with her son as he understands every thing and can act things out to get his point across, he is just taking a little longer to get there with his spaech but im sure by the time they're 3 you wont know the difference. xxx

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