If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

How many words do they say?

If they have said a word only a few times, do you count that?

If they butcher a word, do you count that as a word?

H. still doesn't talk a lot. He is SOOOOO smart. We have a million picture books and he can point to any picture when we say the word. He loves books and spends hours every day looking through books. Even when I say that the mailman is coming, he'll go dig out his book w/ a pic of a mail truck and point to it and say, "maaaamao" (mailman).

He says,

mama
dada
dirt
Melmo (for Elmo)
Maaaamao (for mailman)
Gore (for door)
coo-coo (for chooo-choo/ train)
ho ho ho (for santa)

Maybe a few others that I am forgetting.


We have their 18m appts in early Dec, so I plan to talk to the dr, but when I've brought it up in the past, he wasn't concerned.

Is there something else I should be doing?

Message edited 11/9/2011 8:23:32 AM.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DD is 18 months and doesn't have very big vocabulary. She understands everthing though and will respond to amost any command you give her. Sometimes I get concerned but my neighbor has a son about her age and when they play toegether I don't notice him saying too much. Like you, we have her appt in early Dec, so we will see what the Dr. says.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

That's about where DS was at that age. He just turned 2 and he is talking a lot more. He's actually become a chatter box and points and tells me what things are called.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Hmmm- DD is 16 months and says about 10-12 words.
It's hit or miss.
She babbles in her own languague- is constantly talking- but it's all nonsense.

She has 10-12 clear words that we know what they are and so does she it seems

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DD is the same age as your boys. Some words are hit or miss and some are consistent...but I will say lately I've been a little "concerned" that she's not sayng words she used to say like dada and mama. Also some words used to seem more clear and now sound more jumbled.

Words that she says that anyone could understand her are:

baby
NO! (love that )
what's that?
sheep
dog
baba
up
bye bye
hi
chicken
fish...and some more

But like I said there used to be more words and now she won't say them even when prompted. But she does follow almost all directions and she is very good with pointing out things in books.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

It sounds like he's doing great! If he can comprehend and communicate by pointing, etc. he is on his way!! You said it yourself- he's smart so I wouldn't be worried.

I feel like DS says words when we say them but not so much on his own. Like he mostly just repeats. But like H he will point out anything you ask him in books and pictures. He knows every family member. He's always been a little behind on communication so I'm not worried.

He says:
juice
all done
hunty (our dog haha)
Naa (No)
dada/mama
Dede (aunt)
elmo
fish
cookie (says this really well haha)
up
this much (how much mommy loves him )
eye
what's this

and some other randoms. He used to say please and thank you but sadly that is done

Message edited 11/9/2011 11:13:23 AM.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Dd is 17 months and she just started talking
She says
Hi
Bye bye
More
Dada
Mama
Moo
Boo
No more
Thank you
Snack

I feel like I am missing a few. They are not all clear but as long as I know what she's saying I count it.
She listens and understands everything I say. She follows commands, not all the time but she follows directions.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DS is a couple of months younger - 14 months and I too feel like he should have couple more words under his belt.

The only one he uses consistenly is "no, no, no"

He says here and there
dada
mama
Nonna (grandma)
Lala (my sister)
baba (bottle)
ummm (food)

He understands when you ask him where something is or points to them. He can see you do something or point to something once and he remembers instantly, but no words used.

My niece is 3 days older and she has such a larger vocabulary than him. They are with one another pretty much 6 days a week (my mom watches both of them).

I'm hoping it is because he is spoken to in both English and Italian and that is what is causing him to not speak much. He understands whether you ask him in either language.

He also used to clap hands and doesn't anymore. I wonder if its just becasue he is preoccupied with everything else that is going on around him.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Thanks everyone. I guess I feel better... we'll just keep working w/ him.

(Also, hope I didn't offend anyone by the title of the thread. I know that some people have kids w/ like 75+ words and just didn't want to be all sad hearing about it. )

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

i JUST saw the boys and they are fine!!! also, remember that they are twins and twins sometimes (a lot of times) do have a verbal delay.

dont stress, your little guys are perfect

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Posted by skinny

Thanks everyone. I guess I feel better... we'll just keep working w/ him.

(Also, hope I didn't offend anyone by the title of the thread. I know that some people have kids w/ like 75+ words and just didn't want to be all sad hearing about it. )

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Posted by piggy007

Posted by skinny

Thanks everyone. I guess I feel better... we'll just keep working w/ him.

(Also, hope I didn't offend anyone by the title of the thread. I know that some people have kids w/ like 75+ words and just didn't want to be all sad hearing about it. )

75+ words??? Wow, I defintely don't think ella is close to 75 words and i think she has a decent vocabulary

She can say
Mom
Dad
Hi
Bye
Thank you
Please
hurry up
dog
eat
pizza
cheese
i love you too
up
down
out
hot
sippy
paci
juice
milk
shoes
bath
poopie
fishies
hot
nose
apple
cow
miss you (miss eww is what it sounds like)
all done
baby
pasta



and a few other words here and there if she hears someone say it, she will try to repeat it

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DS didn't have a ton of words around that time - he had a few - but, around 18 months I believe he had word explosion.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DS is 18 months and consistently says

Mama
Dada
Bella
Ball
Cup
Truck
More
Pup for "up"
Momo for "Elmo"
Cookie
Kickey(Mickey)
Baba
Car


Occasionally says
Thank you


This all happened within the past 6 weeks or so. Statistically girls speech comes sooner than boys. I often compare him to his big sister which I shouldn't.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

every child is different and when Carmela was that age she said 4-5 words if that... she was evaluated at 20 months old (because she has a sibling on the spectrum) and at about 22 months old was talking in 3-5 word sentences.

if she understands simple commands, thats considered language.

i wouldnt worry until 24 months...

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

i think it sounds like they are doing great. my ds was very similar and as soon as he hit 18-19 months he got a ton of words all at once. dd is 17 months and she has roughly 10-12 words, some that are not 100% clear. But like your boys she understands everything, which is key. At 18 months, my ped wants 10-15 words and approximations and animal sounds, etc all count.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

It sounds like they are right on track! It's so hard not to compare to others kids but what matters is that they comprehend. My DS also has a limited vocabulary (compared to my friends' DCs) and I thought he was 'behind' but when I went in for his 18 month check up, he was within the normal range. He's 19 months old now and I have found that he's had a small boom of words the past few weeks but at 17-18 months old all he had were about 10 words, only 3-4 of which he would say consistently.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DD is almost 16 1/2 months and has about 10-12 words consistently.
She has about 5+ words that are jibberish and I am not really counting them as words.
She does do about 5 signs consistently.
What is more important is their receptive language rather than the expressive language. If DC can understand what you are saying then the expressive will follow.
It sounds like your DC is right on target.
I know it is hard not to compare but dont drive yourself nuts.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

DS had 1 word at the beginning of 18m and 10 words by the end. I was very concernec at the beginning of 18m.

He has had a word explosion ever since and now he talks non-stop at age 2.5.

Our pediatrician was never concerned.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

Jenn that is exactly where he should be. They don't expect many words at 18mos. They look for comprehension more than anything at that age. If most people could get the word and he uses it in context it counts. Don't worry, he is where the peds want him to be.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

He sounds like he's doing well! My DS had about 12 words at his 18 month appointment, picked up a few more by his 21 month appointment, and really within the last month has just exploded with words. He's 22 months now and I've lost count. He uses words I didn't even know he had, and tries to link some words together (more please, etc). He was a premie, so I was expecting that he may be behind, but the language really just came on overnight, it's crazy to watch the development.

Re: If your 17-18mo doesn't have a large vocabulary...

I've seen a ton of totally normal kids not talking much & then having a word explosion at the age of 2.

As long as you are talking to your kid & the rest of the milestones are Ok, I would not worry about it.

Oh... and my 15 month old has
"hi"
"bye"
"kitty"
"no more"
"give" (with finger pointing)
"mama"
"dog"

Under his belt... and I'm not too sure he understands what "mama" means.

... and I think he's SO SMART!

Message edited 11/10/2011 8:05:56 AM.