Toddler Talk This is the age when your child's speech begins to soar. Here are some simple strategies to boost his language skills.
By Ginny Graves

Introduction:

Few childhood milestones are as thrilling as your baby's first word -- an event lovingly recorded in baby books and immortalized in family lore. But a toddler's acquisition of language can also be a source of anxiety. "So many parents worry about whether their child's verbal development is normal," says Leslie Rescorla, Ph.D., director of the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania. "Most of the time, happily, their fears are baseless."

When it comes to speech acquisition, there is a wide range of "normal," and the vast majority of children -- even relatively silent types -- fall comfortably within that range. While many 12-month-olds can say a few single words ("mama," "dada," "up," and "more" are among the most common, according to Marilyn Agin, M.D., coauthor of The Late Talker ), many others don't start speaking until they're 15 to 18 months old. Most, Dr. Rescorla says, utter their first words between 13 and 18 months.

By the time toddlers reach their second birthday, about 70 percent of them have mastered 50 to 250 words -- mostly nouns, verbs, and adjectives -- which they can string together in simple, two- or three-syllable sentences ("Want milk," "Doggie play"). A rare few are verbally adept enough to manage such complex statements as "When Daddy gets home, can I play ball?".

That said, a sizable minority of children -- some 10 to 12 percent -- lag behind over the course of this year. Your child is considered a late talker if, by age 2, he says fewer than 50 words or does not use any two-word combinations. Being a late talker is no cause for alarm -- kids typically catch up by age 5 -- but you should mention it to your pediatrician, Dr. Rescorla advises.

More worrisome is a lag in "receptive" language, or what your child comprehends. "Most 1-year-olds can follow simple instructions -- 'Find your shoe,' for example," Dr. Rescorla says. "If your 18-month-old doesn't seem to understand much, you should consult your doctor."

Don't be concerned if your toddler's verbalizations are unintelligible to everyone but you. At 18 months, Dr. Agin estimates, only 25 percent of what your child says can be understood by an outsider (as opposed to the 95 percent that you grasp). "Articulation ability varies a great deal," Dr. Rescorla adds. "Don't worry until your child is 3."

Copyright© 2004. Reprinted with permission from the April 2003 issue of Parents magazine.

Not Talking Yet? If you suspect your child has difficulties with speech, speak up. The key to treating language disorders is early intervention.
By Sandra Y. Lee, Photo by Matthew Rodgers

perhaps no other milestone, besides walking, generates as much anticipation as a baby's first words. "Yet when a child isn't quite on target, well-meaning family, friends, and even the pediatrician may say things like 'Don't worry; she'll talk when she's ready' or 'Uncle Bob didn't talk until he was 3,' and parents are often reassured into doing nothing," says Marilyn Agin, M.D., one of the authors of a new book, The Late Talker: What to Do if Your Child Isn't Talking Yet . "But, in most cases, you don't have to -- nor should you -- take the wait-and-see approach."

Typically, a late-talking child will catch up with her peers. But a recent study found that over 7% of 5-year-olds didn't grow out of the problem before starting school, notes Dr. Agin, who is also a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and medical director of the Early Intervention Program in New York City. For these children, the consequences of waiting can be grave. Undetected disorders have been linked to poor reading and academic performance and also emotional problems. "I've seen children as young as 3 who are self-conscious about their speech, which can lead to low self-esteem," says Dr. Agin. Here, she lists some of the warning signs outlined in more detail in her book. You may want to seek help if:

• By 9 months, your infant has yet to babble or she babbles with few or no consonant sounds.

• By 12 months, your baby looks at something he wants but does not use gestures, like pointing, to show you what he desires.

• By 16 months, you still haven't heard your child's first words.

• By 24 to 30 months, your child has yet to speak in two-word phrases (like "more cookie").

• By 36 months, your child says only single-syllable words with no final consonants ("ca" for cat, "beh" for bed). She also doesn't ask questions and has frequent tantrums when not understood.

"You know your child best," says Dr. Agin. "If, deep down, you suspect there's something wrong with your child and you're not satisfied with the response from your pediatrician, make an appointment with a speech pathologist or a neurodevelopmental pediatrician." If your child is under 3, contact your local county-run early intervention program. In most states, evaluations are free; some offer a sliding scale. (To find one near you, visit the website below or call 800-695-0285.) If it turns out that your child's delay is developmental and he'll grow out of it, there's no harm done and you can put your mind at ease, says Dr. Agin. On the other hand, if there is a problem, he'll benefit tremendously from getting early therapy.

Related Links:

• Nichcy.org/index.html

Related Articles:

• Should Talking Be Taught?
• How to Encourage Early Chatter
• Language Difficulties

Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission from the April 2003 issue of Child magazine.