when should my child start talking?
Published May 19, 2018 12:05 am
By Dr. Jack Herrin
Q.My daughter is turning two this June, and she still can’t talk. Should I bring her in for a check-up?
Language is important in a child’s development. Being able to effectively communicate one’s emotions, thoughts and needs paves the way for a healthy parent-child relationship and for more efficient learning as the child grows older. Concerns about language development are common during childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics noted in 2011 that about 30% of parents voice their concern about their child’s language development during visits to their pediatricians.
Observe
Newborn children will often use the only means of communication at their disposal: crying. As these infants grow older, however, they begin to learn that certain words or gestures symbolize specific objects or actions, and they start to imitate what they see and hear.
Babbling, or the repeated use of consonant-vowel patterns such as “bababa” manifests when your child is around six-months of age. Over the next three months, you may start to hear semblances of “mama” or “papa,” although these may not be very consistent. That’s okay for now.
By the time your child is about to celebrate his or her first birthday (10 to 12 months), he or she may begin to gesture more frequently, and can now also use “mama” or “dada” appropriately. They may know another word or two, and as they continue to develop, their vocabulary should grow to 25 words by the time they hit 18 months.
When children turn two, they should have roughly 50 words in his expressive vocabulary, and may try their hand at combining common-heard-and-used words into short, two-word sentences.
While not every child may be the same when it comes to the rate of language development, the expressive language milestones mentioned above are often used as a guide for parents as they monitor their child’s development.
Check-up
At the 9th-month, 18th-month, and 24th to 30th-month checkup, pediatricians are advised to screen for developmental concerns. This means a formal inquiry, and not just asking-in-passing. You may be guided through a more structured interview or answering a formal questionnaire to identify any red flags in your child’s development.
Developmental screening is now becoming the norm. There should no longer any minimum age when concerns may be brought up with your doctors; gone are the days of “wait-and-see.” Being vigilant about a child’s overall development ensures a better future. A healthy pediatrician-parent-child relationship relies on a doctor giving sound counsel based on evidence-based guidelines, and on both parents being able and willing to ask the difficult questions and trusting their physician-partner to act and in the child’s best interest.
Dr. Jack is a hardworking dad, loving husband, and co-creator of two wonderful daughters. He is also a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician practicing at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
Q.My daughter is turning two this June, and she still can’t talk. Should I bring her in for a check-up?
Language is important in a child’s development. Being able to effectively communicate one’s emotions, thoughts and needs paves the way for a healthy parent-child relationship and for more efficient learning as the child grows older. Concerns about language development are common during childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics noted in 2011 that about 30% of parents voice their concern about their child’s language development during visits to their pediatricians.
Observe
Newborn children will often use the only means of communication at their disposal: crying. As these infants grow older, however, they begin to learn that certain words or gestures symbolize specific objects or actions, and they start to imitate what they see and hear.
Babbling, or the repeated use of consonant-vowel patterns such as “bababa” manifests when your child is around six-months of age. Over the next three months, you may start to hear semblances of “mama” or “papa,” although these may not be very consistent. That’s okay for now.
By the time your child is about to celebrate his or her first birthday (10 to 12 months), he or she may begin to gesture more frequently, and can now also use “mama” or “dada” appropriately. They may know another word or two, and as they continue to develop, their vocabulary should grow to 25 words by the time they hit 18 months.
When children turn two, they should have roughly 50 words in his expressive vocabulary, and may try their hand at combining common-heard-and-used words into short, two-word sentences.
While not every child may be the same when it comes to the rate of language development, the expressive language milestones mentioned above are often used as a guide for parents as they monitor their child’s development.
Check-up
At the 9th-month, 18th-month, and 24th to 30th-month checkup, pediatricians are advised to screen for developmental concerns. This means a formal inquiry, and not just asking-in-passing. You may be guided through a more structured interview or answering a formal questionnaire to identify any red flags in your child’s development.
Developmental screening is now becoming the norm. There should no longer any minimum age when concerns may be brought up with your doctors; gone are the days of “wait-and-see.” Being vigilant about a child’s overall development ensures a better future. A healthy pediatrician-parent-child relationship relies on a doctor giving sound counsel based on evidence-based guidelines, and on both parents being able and willing to ask the difficult questions and trusting their physician-partner to act and in the child’s best interest.
Dr. Jack is a hardworking dad, loving husband, and co-creator of two wonderful daughters. He is also a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician practicing at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.