"Normal" 14 month old behavior

[WolfpackMom]

Getting paranoid over here, bring me back down to Earth please. What are some good resources for the range of developmental milestones for toddlers?

DS has had one word for the past 3.5-4 months. Im wondering how "normal" this is, and also am not sure if it could be from all of his ear infections etc (he finally got tubes about 1.5 months ago). I know kids talk at all different times, but I would think it wouldn't take 4+ months for him to start using another word.

Right now its all gibberish, and "dada." Most everything else is "ba..." He did finally start pointing like 2-3 weeks ago, although not necessarily to something I ask him to point at, just in general. He sometimes will follow a direction, like "go get the puppy," but not often (so much so that I sometimes wonder if its just coincidence that he grabbed the puppy when I told him to). He waves now, that took awhile to get and can do some signs like "more," "all done," "hat," touch down," and will try and do the Wolfpack hand sign when you tell him to. And if I put food on a spoon or fork for him he will self feed, he tries to get the food on himself but can't.

I dunno, I think he is normal. But the talking thing is weirding me out a little and has me worried his hearing was affected by all of the infections.

TIA!

[DebbieJ]

My 18 mo just started reliably spoon feeding himself within the past month. He also only has about 5 words he can say, but understands WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY more.

Try not to worry!

[WolfpackMom]

Thanks DebbieJ! Im hoping/thinking he understands a lot more than he cares to articulate to me...I am also hoping that since he is moving out of the tranistional room and into the toddlers room at parttime daycare, that being around other little talkers might encourage him. :)

[Dr C]

Sounds pretty normal to me! I'd see what your ped thinks at his 15 month check. That'll also get him another month to pick up some words with those tubes in.
My DD is 17 months and has MAYBE 5 words. DS was the same way. He's now reading at 4 years old. I think he's just fine.

[Indianamom2]

Ds has just now, at 19-20 months, had a bit of a language explosion. We are just now getting ready for our first speech therapy session next week.

I'm thinking now that he probably wouldn't have qualified if he was tested a month later. FWIW, we're still going to do the therapy because it can't hurt and he was a bit late to start really talking.

I think at your point, I'd just be monitoring him and keeping a written record of the words he does have. Our pedi wasn't concerned at all until Ds was 18 months.

[Melbel]

IME, there is such a wide range of normal for speech in the first couple years. However, when in doubt, it does not hurt to sign up for an evaluation because often there is a significant lag time before you can get an appointment. If your DS qualifies for Early Intervention, the services are free regardless of income. DS qualified for speech therapy (expressive) and really loved the therapist who used play type techniques in our home. Following our therapist's lead, I found that it helps to talk to infant/toddler DC describing things as you do them in simple repetitive sentences throughout the day ("I wash hands", "where is the cat", etc.). Reading labeling type books also seemed to help. Other times I would trick DS into talking (i.e. pointing to a cat in a book and say "that's a monkey" so that he could "correct" me). Can your DS point to things in books if you ask him to find something? :hug: 14 months is very young, so I would not worry. By 18-24 months, I would want to start EI if there still appears to be a delay.

ETA: DS graduated from speech therapy at age 3 and has proven to be very bright and articulate. :)

[WolfpackMom]

Can your DS point to things in books if you ask him to find something? :hug:

He will mimic me, like if Im reading and say "there is the cow," "DS where is the cow, point to the cow" he will point. But its limited to what I point out and then ask him to repeat and to familiar things - like cows.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I do plan to talk to the ped at his 15 month appointment. And keeping a list wont be hard, since right now its a list of 1...lol

You know I worried about his taking forever to get from cruising to walking (it look like 5 months) so Im sure part of it is I need to be a bit more patient and stop worrying about what other people talk about their DC of the same age are doing. I just read on here all the time about people using EI and the thought started to cross my mind about whether or not that would be needed or if he is just trucking along and I need to relax and not get into the mindset of jumping to the assumption that something is wrong unless proven otherwise iykwim.

[maestramommy]

I don't think Laurel had her first word until almost 18 months, "more." Now she has several, but I don't know if she's going to make the 50orwhatever word count for 24 months. She does however, put two words together sometimes. And she knows "batteries" and that broccoli are "trees." And her comprehension is better than Arwyn's.

[lalasmama]

You can do an ASQ online (Ages and Stages Questionaire) for free, and they will email you the results rather quickly. I always loved doing the ASQ because I always wonder "is this early/late/expected right now?"

https://asqoregon.com/consent.php?lang=en

I was sad when DD hit 66 months, and therefore too old for the ASQs anymore.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

it sounds totally normal to me. my 14mo can say some words but he understands waaaay more than what he can say. if i ask him to "bring me X" he understands and does it, despite the fact that he cannot say the name of the object i ask him to bring.

also, there are some things about toddler development (esp language development) that totally baffle me. for example, my DS can easily say seemingly difficult words like "cracker", "sticker", "chicken" and "diaper", but cannot say "dog" (he says "gog"). words like bottle, bear, and baby all come out sounding almost the same, as "ba" or "ba-ba". and just now at 14 mos DS is learning how to say "no" (however he could say "cracker" at 10 mos). it makes no sense whatsover in my mind but i assume it's normal. :)

[WolfpackMom]

it sounds totally normal to me. my 14mo can say some words but he understands waaaay more than what he can say. if i ask him to "bring me X" he understands and does it, despite the fact that he cannot say the name of the object i ask him to bring.

also, there are some things about toddler development (esp language development) that totally baffle me. for example, my DS can easily say seemingly difficult words like "cracker", "sticker", "chicken" and "diaper", but cannot say "dog" (he says "gog"). words like bottle, bear, and baby all come out sounding almost the same, as "ba" or "ba-ba". and just now at 14 mos DS is learning how to say "no" (however he could say "cracker" at 10 mos). it makes no sense whatsover in my mind but i assume it's normal. :)

lol See this is what makes me nervous, our DS' are like 2 weeks apart and yours can say all of those things!

Thanks for the link to that questionnaire lalasmama, Im going to check it out!

[wendibird22]

DD2 is 15mos. At her check up last week the ped said their rule is 3 words other than mama and dada by 2yrs.

DD2 also has chronic EIs and had tubes placed in Feb. She is much further behind in speech than DD1 was at the same age. But, we do see her trying to make more sounds and her receptive language is good so I think her expressive language will just catch up.

[fedoragirl]

DD is 14 months and has one word--daddy. She sometimes stresses on "di" or says the whole word. I don't worry about it because I am a language teacher and in my linguistics class we were taught about the ranges of ages a child picks up language. Moreover, we speak 3 languages to her, and I'd be worried if she didn't start speaking anything at age 2.
I have met a lot of mothers who were worried about their children not speaking but they are absorbing a whole lot than we think. Then, at 18 months-2 years, they just start talking and now I hear that they won't shut up. :D
I wouldn't worry...easier said than done. ;)

[♥ms.pacman♥]

lol See this is what makes me nervous, our DS' are like 2 weeks apart and yours can say all of those things!


well if it makes you feel any better, my DS doesn't do a lot of other things that most kids his age can do...for example, my DS does not say hi or wave at people at all..i've never seen him do either of those things, though most ppl i know say their kid started waving/greeting at 12 mo.

[crayonblue]

Well, I don't know how normal anything is but I'm in the same boat. My daughter is 13 months, almost 14 and has not said her first word and is not walking. She does not wave or point.

She can figure out how to take apart, stack, move around most everything but she seems to be a little delayed with communication. I've contacted early intervention and started that process and hope they come out for an evaluation soon.

It's stressful, isn't it? I feel myself worrying about every little thing and have to remind myself that she is healthy and happy and may just need a little boost in certain areas.

[WolfpackMom]

Well, I don't know how normal anything is but I'm in the same boat. My daughter is 13 months, almost 14 and has not said her first word and is not walking. She does not wave or point.

She can figure out how to take apart, stack, move around most everything but she seems to be a little delayed with communication. I've contacted early intervention and started that process and hope they come out for an evaluation soon.

It's stressful, isn't it? I feel myself worrying about every little thing and have to remind myself that she is healthy and happy and may just need a little boost in certain areas.

Yes it is....I didnt realize I could call EI on my own. I thought I needed a referral. I may call the dr and talk about it if I can, I did that online assessment and DS did come up as having issues in some areas. I will have to discuss with DH tonight. DS is sick today (I jinxed myself on the post about no sick appointments and no EI since tubes, sigh), so my hands are too full to call them today...

[AnnieW625]

DD1 knew 7 words before she was 2 yrs. old, and at 14 months old she just said ma ma and da da. By 18 months and she still maybe only said dog, duck, cow, and bye or hi I started getting a little concerned, but decided to not do anything EI related until she was 2 yrs. old. Our HMO, Kaiser asked if she knew 20 words and I said no so in all honesty if he doesn't know 20 words by the time he is 2 yrs. old then it's time to be concerned.

[sidmand]

I don't know if it's all states but we could definitely self refer to EI. Having been through it with both kids I'm a big proponent of the evaluation. It will either alleviate your fears or help you out. I know it's a lot easier said than done though. As much as you might think something is wrong it is very hard to hear it from someone else. But I think you know in your heart if something is not quite right--YKWIM?

ETA: Many kids do have a language explosion around age 2 but EI only goes until age 3 so if you wait until then to get started it just takes that much longer to get started and then they're discharged quickly. Unfortunately there's no way to know until it's almost too late. Both DCs entered EI at 15 months and it was SO hard to make that call but I'm glad I did.

[LMPC]

First...so sorry to hear that your boo-boo (hee hee I LOVE that!) is sick! Secondly, I think you should do what gives you piece of mind (talk to ped, call EI, etc). Having said that, however, I think he sounds pretty normal to me. At that age there is such a wide range of what is considered in the normal range. DD did not walk until she was 16 months...freaked me out a little, but just tried to tell myself that she's just at the end of the normal range....bless her, she's just not coordinated!

I think it's a good sign that he is able to use signs and communicate that way. To me that's an indication of expressive language (but you know I am a psychologist, not a speech anything...so take that for what it's worth). And he's a very engaging kid...looks at you when you talk...responds to facial expressions. These are all very positive signs to me!
:hug:

[WolfpackMom]

First...so sorry to hear that your boo-boo (hee hee I LOVE that!) is sick! Secondly, I think you should do what gives you piece of mind (talk to ped, call EI, etc). Having said that, however, I think he sounds pretty normal to me. At that age there is such a wide range of what is considered in the normal range. DD did not walk until she was 16 months...freaked me out a little, but just tried to tell myself that she's just at the end of the normal range....bless her, she's just not coordinated!

I think it's a good sign that he is able to use signs and communicate that way. To me that's an indication of expressive language (but you know I am a psychologist, not a speech anything...so take that for what it's worth). And he's a very engaging kid...looks at you when you talk...responds to facial expressions. These are all very positive signs to me!
:hug:

Yeah see thats why Im torn. My gut really says he is fine and just doing his own thing. I would just hate to be wrong and to have not done anything about it.

[Simon]

We can make you feel better over here. In comparison, you are doing great.

Ds2 is 14mo (1/10 b-day too) and he has zero words (not mama, dada, etc) and no sounds he uses consistently as words, no waving (hi or bye), no pointing to objects, and no signs. He has/can sign "all done" sometimes but not regularly, he won't repeat the sign if prompted even if it is what he wants and won't respond with a nod (yes or no) if we sign it to him. Sigh.

I brought it up to the ped a few weeks ago and she said we would see where he is at his 15mo appointment. I wanted to wail and gnash my teeth--but that is six weeks away!!!! I restrained myself. My friend the internet says that 1-3 words including mama or dada is normal up to about 18 mo. A few other places want 1-2 words not including mama/dada by 15mo.

I think we are due for a hearing test (does not always respond to his name, does not startle at all loud noises). I don't expect we would qualify for help yet so I have not bothered with EI and won't until after the 15mo appointment.

ETA: I have been told (by various people) that signs count as "words." Although your child cannot form the sounds yet, he can clearly use the sign to express an idea and so that counts as (a form of) language development. I can't imagine you have anything to worry about. The lag time between learning words appears because kids often focus on one milestone at a time. Lots of gross motor work so other skills languish, then bam! Big growth in one area or another. Most kids master gross motor skills before language, but not all.