Toddler Not Talking

You seem to be doing all you can do. So, now it is time to get him evaluated by a pediatric speech therapist. Most kids this age have a vocabulary of 50 words (some will have over 100) and while I have had many, many toddlers like this turn out to be just “late talkers”, it is important to rule out more serious developmental problems – a good speech therapist is a good place to start. She (or he) can help decide if there is anything to worry about. In the meantime, here are some things parents can do to help their children develop language skills:

Read books and sing songs to your child on a daily basis, beginning in infancy.

Introduce new vocabulary in a meaningful context, e.g., name specific foods at dinnertime.

Speak directly to your child, and give him/her time to respond.

Don’t use baby language.

Avoid finishing sentences for the child.