Should my 2 year old be talking more?

Every parent (especially first-time parents!) want to make sure their child is keeping up with their peers....  

...crawling, standing, walking, sleeping, potty-training.... but especially TALKING.

​So, what SHOULD be expected of a "typical" toddler or preschooler in terms of speech and language?

First... a few important considerations:

• Yes, there is a wide range of "normal" and every child develops at their own pace in their own way....
• But, don't let the "my-son-didn't-talk-till-he-was-3-and-now-he's-fine!" stories keep you from seeking advice from a qualified Speech Language Pathologist....
• Because, if your child does indeed exhibit a deficit in speech or language, early intervention is HIGHLY EFFECTIVE for preventing, remediating, and even eliminating speech and/or language disorders or potential disorders!

Here are some EXPECTED MILESTONES for young children:

6 months 

• babbling and blowing "raspberries"
• establishing eye contact
• has a social smile
• responds to sound source

12 months 

• says 2-6 words other than "mama" and "dada"
• increased babbling using different consonant-vowel combinations
• responds to "no"
• tries to interact with listeners

24 months  

• usually says 200-300 words (but at least 50)
• begins to use two-word combinations ("mama up", "daddy home")
• points to named pictures in a book
• follows simple one-step directions

3 years

• says about 1,000 words
• combines 3 or more words to make sentences ("big doggie running", "my red car")
• increased use of "wh-" questions ("where daddy go?")
• should be understood by unfamiliar listeners at least 50% of the time
• points to objects when described, such as “What do you wear on your head?”
• watches other children and briefly joins in their play
  
  

4 years

• says about 1,600 words
• using 5+ words in sentences
• should be understood by unfamiliar listeners at least 75% of the time
• follows 2-step directions easily ("go get the red book and give it to grandma")
• takes turns and plays cooperatively

​These are just some BASIC guidelines and not all-inclusive.  But, PLEASE, If you have any concerns about your child's speech and/or language development please contact a Speech Language Pathologist near you today!  

As a parent recently stated, "I wish I had started speech therapy from the jump and found out she didn't need it, than waste nearly half a year waiting to see if she would catch up."

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