No words at 16 months

My kiddos don't say any words yet.. not even mama or daddy. I am not particularly worried about their development as they are very expressive, they just haven't figured out that they are supposed to use the same words that we do. We can almost always figure out what they want. I am prepared to have to go to speech therapy in a few months if they don't start speaking. I am just wondering if I am seeing the beginning of twin language though.. they often point at the same thing and "speak" and laugh at the same thing... it seems as though they totally know what the other is referring to all the time. They will also call out to each other when they're not in the same room together. They babble constantly... I can often hear them babbling to each other 45 minutes at a time when they go to bed.

They also get frustrated very easily because they can't tell us what they want. We've been working hard at sign language, but they just think that we're crazy and laugh at us when we try to show them. It's frustrating! Anyone have any other ideas how we can encouage their speech? We talk to them constantly and name everything, give them encouragement whenever they make some sort of word. I don't know what else to do. I am tired of the screaming when they can't communicate. :crazy:

 

No real advice for you, but just wanted to say my boys do the same thing. Mine are 18 months, and I started getting a few words out of Aiden about 2 weeks ago. They do the babbling with each other, and with us. They also do the thing where they call out to each other in different rooms. So funny! What I think is funny is their babbling styles are completely different (if that makes sense) yet they seem to understand each other. My doc said not to worry yet, which I know your not, but I don't know that there is much more you can do. I think you are doing enough, and it will come when they are ready.

 

I would contact early intervention... the evaluation is free, and in a lot of states they can get free therapy if needed too. Totally worth it!

 

I personally wouldn't worry about it. My oldest ds didn't say anything until 18 months, and then it wasn't much...but he exploded at 2 yrs old and hasn't stopped since. My oldest dd was much more verbal earlier on. So far the twins are following in their footsteps. Liam doesn't say a whole lot, but he knows a whole lot, and makes himself known, and he understands everything. Rylee is talking a little more, but not a whole lot either, but again she can make herself known and understands everything. I'm not concerned

I think if they didn't understand and didn't have that receptive language concept down (I think that's the right term), then I would worry more. They know what we mean, and they know how to express to us for the most part what they want, they just haven't taught their mouths how to spit the words out yet

 

I don't have any advice for you other than to just give it time. June 2009 I remember telling someone that the girls weren't talking at all, they were 18 months old. Right around the time they turned 2 they picked up so many words. Enjoy this time of quiet, it won't last very much longer!

My husband got some flash cards with pictures of objects on them, and would show the girls the cards and say the words. But I want to say that was closer to when they turned 2, once they had a couple of words. That really helped.

 

My boys have very few words. At 18 months I had an eval and they got speech. I have seen improvements with receptive language...but they still don't want to talk. They will when they are ready, but is worth getting speech therapy to help it along.

 

It never hurts to get call your local Early Intervention program. Speech therapy, if they qualify, can help you guys get over the frustration issues they are dealing with during communication attempts.

 

DS2 had 3 words at 18 months, and didn't really start talking until 22 months. He's fine. My girls had zero words until 25 and 27 months. And then they exploded, and they're fine. I never had them evaluated, because my mother's brother and my father were both late talkers, so I knew it ran in my family. Their receptive language was fine, they understood and could follow simple instructions, so I just didn't stress about it. If an evaluation will ease your mind, by all means, get one. Kids just do things on their own schedule, not on ours. (Mine were pointers rather than screamers, so there wasn't that headache.)

 

At about 16 months I was really concerned about my two, mainly because they weren't saying mama and dada. We talked to our pediatrician and he suggested a hearing test, but really said that he wouldn't do anything until 18 months or so. We scheduled the test and went to Christmas with my family where everyone told me they didn't think there was any reason for concern so we delayed the test. I am so glad we didn't spend that money (not covered) now. The kids suddenly, at about 18 months, started talking up a storm and now, at 2, have more words than I can even begin to count. They are speaking in 3 and 4 word sentences and are very clear. Never would I have thought at that point that they would be ahead in speech, but they are. It never hurts to have an evaluation, but in my experience giving it time might to do the trick because my two just really started picking it up once they understood the concept. We started using flashcards and really pointing things out in books and I do think that helped, but more than anything they just got it on their on timetable. My two did get frustrated when they couldn't get their point across before words and that is where I think the flashcards really helped - they were touch and feel ones and when they started "petting" the dog, making the noise for the dog, etc. it clicked that you called that thing a dog and they started labeling things and naming everything around them. Try not to worry - sounds like they are the cusp of really starting to talk!

 

I also want to add, that all that babbling they are doing, is considered language. baby language, my boys do not speak in sentences yet, but do have lots of words, they also do lots of babbling at 22 mos of age. they see a speach therapist with early intervention. I agree with PP's, contact your local EI program and go from there, they are learning everyday about language. GL

 

Thanks everyone! Like I said, I am not really worried about there really being something wrong, just more worried that their frustration could spill over into other behavioural issues. They are LOUD when they don't get what they want and it makes it difficult to take them anywhere. They do follow instructions pretty well, and they generally know what words mean.. they'll point or at least look at whatever we're referring to. I have their 18 month checkup scheduled in 6 weeks, so we'll see how it goes in the meantime. I am not even sure how speech referrals work up here, but I am sure it will come up then. I sometimes wonder if I am just too impatient or excited to hit their next milestone!

 

my girls will be 18 months old in three days and they have hi, bye, eat and baby (and the last two are very very sporadic). I decided to go ahead and call early intervention. I am not worried about their development other than language. They are very receptive to what we say, but they just don't want to seem learn any words. It doesn't matter how much I read to them, reapeat words etc they just won't add any words. I also tried sign language and I got about the same response. I called my aunt who is a speech pathologist and she said that it is always better to start earler than later, that twins very often have this speech delay issue, and that parents sometimes can't get their children to do and say things that other people can. Good luck and I completely understand the frustration.

 

At 15 months my girls were not speaking at all. I spoke with my pedi and while she wasn't concerned at that time, she suggested that we called ECI to have them evaluated just to get checked out before 18 months so they don't start to get too far behind. Well come to find out they weren't hearing. We had their hearing checked with an ENT and they had fluid in their ears that were not allowing them to hear. Once we got their tubes in their ears they started started mimicing animal nosies within the week. They still get speech therapy twice a month and they are making huges strides from just a few months ago. I am so glad that called ECI when we did, i would have hated to see how far behind they would have been if we would have waited.

 

My DS was pretty similar. He had a few words at that age (maybe 2?). We scheduled a speech eval at 23 months. In a period of a month, he added about 20 words. He is 2 now, and is definitely having a word explosion. He adds 3-4 words per week. We had a two part speech eval. The first part was at 23 months, and she wanted to wait another month to see how he was doing. We had the second appt. today. She is not recommending speech for him at this time, and does not think he qualifies for state services. I feel better that we checked it out, even if services aren't needed. I guess some kids just start later than others...

 

We had no words until 22 months. Only 2-3 word sentences at their 3rd birthday. We moved to the US at age 4.75 and they qualified for speech therapy. While the lack of expressive speech could be a cause for concern, I wouldn't go for an evaluation unless they were delayed in receptive speech. At this age, they first need to understand before they can mimic you and say it back.

 

my doc said he would refer us for an evaluation if the girls needed it (or i really wanted it) - although, i'm not actually sure how or where the program is run. at 18 months, the girls had a couple of words each & he wasn't concerned at all. at their two year appointment, he did say that if we hadn't seen a significant improvement in the next 3 - 6 months (increase in vocabulary, more use of 2+ word sentences) that we should go back for another check up. i'm kind of torn on the issue because the girls are definitely learning & improving in their expressive speech all the time, it just seems to be a slow slog. ardon:

the girls are both whiners though - they'll just point & whine at things instead of using their words, which is starting to feel like nails on a chalkboard to me. loud would be really hard! :hug:

 

Don't give up on the sign language...it will click...just takes time. Besides the standard narration and talking in the house, I know when we take walks or look out the window we have always waved and communicated with objects. For example, we will say "hi trees, hi clouds, hi doggie, etc." If it storms we also say hello to the thunder. Sounds kind of stupid but I am not good at just walking down the sidewalk and talking to them. When they scream/whine, think of a consistent phrase you could say to try to encourage communication. I hear a lot say "use your words" so I got kind of sick of it. We say, "tell me what you are trying to say"...of course they can't say it many times but we will get pointing, head knods, signs, etc. It is just a way of calming them a minute so they know they have your full attention to help with communication. Get down at their height level when you do this. They are communicating well through the babbling it sounds like.

 

We had no words either. My boys knew EVERYTHING there was to know. They just couldn't say it. Our pedi wanted them referred for speech-which they qualified for. One tested at a 7 month level(which I still don't agree with lol) and the other at a nine month level(I know what my kids can do-and if they don't 'perform' when needed, they get knocked down on the testing). Anyways...

I wasn't worried at all. I knew it would come. But we qualified, so speech came out once/week for an hour. She was wonderful. She really was. But she made them work-and she KNEW they could do it-and eventually did. Some things she did(that I now do with Annabella): If reading a book-just a simple picture book... She would point to the ball. And say, "B..Bbbb....Bbbb.. BALL." And repeat. And repeat again. Then next page. And the next page. It was constant repetition. She really focused on that very first sound. So she did this for a few weeks. Then, when she came the following week, they would read the book-but she wouldn't turn the page until they made some sort of sound-whether it was the b sound, or just jargon. If they did-we hooted and hollered and she would turn the page.

It was just constant repetition with them. Constant. And they eventually got it. As an aside, and ironic, they were tested by an actual speech pathologist after almost six months of speech. It was found that Anthony needed more speech instruction-from the actual pathologist. So he was to get speech with EI and then speech from the pathologist. Well, about three weeks after that, EI came out to reevaluate them because it had been six months-and both passed and didn't qualify anymore! Crazy, huh?!!?

Oh-and once they start-there is NO turning back! Enjoy the 'silence' why it lasts! LOL! I've said that if Annabella needs speech she's not getting it! :laughing: