วีดีโอ

Hi :) Many of these activities or goals can be adapted for children depending on their interests and acquired skills. My recommendation is to talk with a care provider who knows your child and can make personalized recommendations for you. You may also utilize this tool which recommends lessons based on your answers to a 10 minute quiz I created - toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program

Aw, how sweet! Such a cute name :)

Hi, thanks for leaving a message. I'm happy to share a few resources with you in case you're interested. First, here's my guide to getting started with a speech therapist - this will be different if you live outside the US, but many countries have similar programs or systems in place. - toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-find-a-pediatric-speech-therapist-near-me I also want to share a tool I created for practicing speech and language at home. You'll take a 10 minute quiz and then you'll get recommended lessons you can practice with - toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program Lastly, here's a page where I have saved different popular activities you may use to practice with speech and language at home - toddlertalk.com/blog/category/Activities I hope this is helpful :)

Same problem

Hii

Hi, thanks for reaching out. I have a couple of general recommendations. First, if speech therapy is available to you I always find it can be very helpful to have a person in your community who can meet and work with you and your child. As a Mom, it's always helpful to me to have support and find the best ways to help my child (because all kids are different :) Here's some information on finding a speech therapist - toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-find-a-pediatric-speech-therapist-near-me You can also do a ton to practice at home. Here are a few great resources: Start here - learning the difference between speech and language so you can determine what you want to be practicing with at home - (second video in this series) - toddlertalk.com/speech-development#start To practice with language at home, check out this great tool. You'll answer questions about how your child is communicating and specific activities will be recommended for you - toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program And as always, your child's doctor is a great resource. Always discuss any concerns with them and see what other resources may be available to you :)

You are very welcome :)

Hi, thanks for leaving a comment. I feel like a lot of parents are in the same boat. As a mom and speech therapist here's my opinion... trust your instincts as a mom whether that's to seek support or wait and talk to your pediatirican about your concerns. When it comes to milestones, I like to take a more conservative approach because I want parents to seek support if it could be helpful to them. Sometimes speech therapy is a great short term solution for a boost in development, and it takes some of the pressure off us parents for doing it all. I also understand that it can take months to get a speech therapy appointment depending on where you live and what insurance you have, so I always suggest scheduling something if you think you're concerned about any milestone because you can always cancel that appointment (but it's harder to schedule something down the road). You can read my blog post on "How many words," where I talk about the discrepancy in vocabulary milestones. toddlertalk.com/blog/how-many-words I hope it's helpful!

I also want to link this research article that talks about the updated CDC milestones, just in case you're interested. I think the full article is behind a paywall but you should be able to see the summary if you're interested - pubs.asha.org/doi/full/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00020

Hi, I want to share a few additional resources with you. First, I am going to link a blog post that talks about language regression (loosing words) which happens for a lot of toddlers - toddlertalk.com/blog/my-toddler-is-not-saying-words-they-used-to I also want to send you my favorite activity for teaching toddlers to say new words. I love it because it's really low pressure for toddlers and it's something that us parents can easily add into our daily activities! toddlertalk.com/blog/focused-stimulation

Thanks for sharing! This is super common 😊 Hope it makes you smile now!

@@toddlertalk it definitely makes me smile and laugh. I’ve just worried as I am around other kids her age who either don’t talk much or are chill. She’s a talker. This was so helpful!

@@toddlertalk hi!

Hi! I am going to share a resource with you where you can learn a little more about children recognizing their name and what you can do to help - toddlertalk.com/blog/respond-to-their-name

Thanks for your comment. I also think it's important to not put a ton of extra pressure on kids, which is why many of my activities and strategies revolve around what us parents can do to help during our everyday activities, including play: toddlertalk.com/blog/focused-stimulation toddlertalk.com/blog/getting-face-to-face toddlertalk.com/blog/comments-over-questions toddlertalk.com/blog/toddler-imagination I also think it's really beneficial to have support as a parent, and for some families, speech therapy can be super helpful in that way... takes some of the pressure off us to do it all.

Hi. This is a serious allegation. Since I don't know of the specific circumstances, I would direct you to Child Protective Services or your local authorities, where you can explain the situation in more detail and find the next steps. Here's the information for San Diego County where I live - you can search for similar in your area - www.sdcda.org/helping/mandated-reporting#:~:text=Immediately%2C%20or%20as%20soon%20as,2191%20and%20local%20law%20enforcement.&text=Or%2C%20you%20can%20receive%20a,to%20the%20Child%20Abuse%20Hotline. Here's also a quoted text for "What to Report" in the State of California - What to Report The California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting ACT (CANRA) can be found in California Penal Code Sections 11164 - 11174.3. The following is a partial description of the statute. Mandated reporters should become familiar with the detailed requirements as they are set forth in CANRA. Under the law, when the victim is a child (a person under the age of 18) and the perpetrator is any person (including a child), the following types of abuse must be reported by all legally mandated reporters: Page 3 Rev. 6/2012Issues and Answers for Mandated Reporters Document Physical abuse (PC 11165.6) is defined as physical injury inflicted by other than accidental means on a child, or intentionally injuring a child. Child sexual abuse (PC 11165.1) includes sexual assault or sexual exploitation of anyone under the age of 18. Sexual assault includes sex acts with children, intentional masturbation in the presence of children, and child molestation. Sexual exploitation includes preparing, selling, or distributing pornographic materials involving children; performances involving obscene sexual conduct; and child prostitution. Willful cruelty or unjustified punishment (PC 11165.3) includes inflicting or permitting unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or the endangerment of the child’s person or health. “Mental suffering” in and of itself is not required to be reported; however, it may be reported. Penal Code11166.05 states: “Any mandated reporter who has knowledge of or who reasonably suspects that mental suffering has been inflicted upon a child or that his or her emotional well-being is endangered in any other way may report the known or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect to an agency specified in Section11165.9”. (The specified agencies include any police department, sheriff’s department, county probation department, if designated by the county to receive mandated reports, or the county welfare department.) Unlawful corporal punishment or injury (PC 11165.4), willfully inflicted, resulting in a traumatic condition. Neglect (PC11165.2) of a child, whether “severe” or “general,” must also be reported if the perpetrator is a person responsible for the child’s welfare. It includes both acts and omissions that harm or threaten to harm the child’s health or welfare. General neglect means the failure of a caregiver of a child to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision, where no physical injury to the child has occurred. Severe neglect means the intentional failure of a caregiver to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care where injury has occurred or is likely to occur. Severe neglect also includes those situations of neglect where any person having the care or custody of a child willfully causes or permits the person or health of the child to be placed in a situation such that his or her person or health is endangered. Any of the above types of abuse or neglect occurring in out-of-home care must also be reported (PC 11165.5). (For a discussion of newborns with a positive toxicology screen, or for information on child abuse in relation to domestic violence, see the “Frequently Asked Questions” section.)

@@toddlertalk There has been several other individuals that have noticed the issue. A few other mothers had tried to help and give advice but the woman goes manic and pushes everyone away. Thank you for all the information

Hi, thanks for your message. It's so hard to answer these types of questions online because communication development is so complex. There are so many aspects to it! If you have concerns, I recommend talking with your pediatrician or scheduling a free early intervention evaluation through your state program (in the USA). As a mom it's always helpful to gather information from professionals in different areas so I can decide what's going to be the best call for my family. If you're looking for some at home tips or activities, you can check out this resource! toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program

@@toddlertalk Thank you very much! I’m definitely on it. I appreciate your response, and your videos!

Thank you for the message. I am always hopeful that my videos are helpful for families.

Hi, I am not sure where you live, but I am going to include my guide to finding speech therapy for older children. Here in the US, you can find speech therapy services through your child's elementary school for free :) toddlertalk.com/blog/iep-speech-therapy

It's so hard to hear your baby cry, and I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm sure you would move mountains to make him happy. Unfortunately I'm not sure that speech therapy is the magic fix though. I would really reccomend talking to your child's doctor about these concerns or observations, there are lots of different professionals (speech therapists, occupational therapists, developmental supports, etc) that can help and finding the right person to help you I think it key. You can learn more about early intervention in this blog post I wrote - toddlertalk.com/blog/early-intervention - I hope that it's helpful and at least a starting point :)

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I want to explain the facts I'm using, and I'll also share my opinion. There's actually quite a bit of research on vocabulary size, looking at what thousands of parents report. One source (mb-cdi.stanford.edu) shows that 90% of toddlers have more than 18 words by 18 months, and that the average toddler has between 50-150 words roughly. My goal here isn't to scare any parent or make them feel bad if their child is saying less words. I just want to give parents an idea of what they might expect, so they can feel confident in their choice either to seek support or not. Ultimately we all get to take in the information and make the choice for our families. In my opinion, there's not a lot of risk in having a speech therapy evaluation because in the US, you can do that for free (toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-find-a-pediatric-speech-therapist-near-me ). Again, when it comes to my family I like to have as much information as possible so I can make my decision. And I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that just because a child has a smaller-than-average vocabulary means they have a learning disability - I'm talking about children who have a speech delay or are late talkers. These children often really benefit from speech therapy and see a ton of improvement and catch up to the milestones with consistent use of at-home strategies. Here are a couple of other resources you may reference: pubs.asha.org/doi/full/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00020 www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-13-to-18-months/ www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/your-toddlers-developmental-milestones-18-months#language-and-communication

Hi. I am a first-time parent too, so I can totally relate to worrying about your little one and their development. My best tip is to talk to your child's doctor who has recommendations and resources for your community. It's best to find someone who can assess your child's communication and make personalized recommendations. At home, there are also many things you can do to support them. I'm going to shrae a great tool here that you can use to find activities using the time and resources you have - toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program

speech pathologist will just say possibilities but will not help us. You’re right they are just pure waste of time and money!

Hi. I am so sorry to hear that this has been your experience in speech therapy. Speech therapy can be tough because progress is often slow, but you should be feeling better about your investment of tie and money. I am going to share a blog post I wrote titled "Does speech therapy work?" It talks a lot about focusing on the right goals and has some suggestions if you're feeling discouraged. - toddlertalk.com/blog/does-speech-therapy-work I also want to share this blog post that shares some great questions to ask your speech therapist to help you have a more positive experience. toddlertalk.com/blog/best-questions-to-ask-your-speech-therapist I hope these resources are helpful :)

Hi:) Thanks for sharing your personal experience here, I know other parents who are reading the comments may be experiencing something similiar. Language regression (when a child stops using words they used to) is a one characteristic of autism - but this alone would not warrant a diagnosis of autism. I explain this in detail in a blog post - toddlertalk.com/blog/my-toddler-is-not-saying-words-they-used-to If you have concerns, please know that there are professionals out there ready to help you. Here in the United States you don't even need a doctor's referral to get a speech therapy evaluation. I will link more about how to find help here - toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-find-a-pediatric-speech-therapist-near-me

Absolutely! Glad it was helpful!

Hmmm... this is tough because it depends on which syllables she's dropping and in what context. I'm going to link a couple of resources for you here that explain speech development and may help you investigate a little further - toddlertalk.com/blog/what-is-an-articulation-disorder toddlertalk.com/blog/phonological-processes toddlertalk.com/blog/phonological-disorder And as always, when in doubt, the pediatrician is a great resource!

Hi, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, I can't draw any conclusions here because I don't know your cousin. However at 4 years old I would watch for a child to be communicating with me, sharing their thoughts, wants, and ideas. I would recommend talking to your child's doctor and trying to find a person (speech therapist or other) who can support you in your community. And at home, I've created a great tool you can use to find activities and thing you can do at home with the time and resources you have to help - toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program

Hi, I know you are not alone here! The pacifier can be SO hard to eliminate, especially because it's a self-soothing strategy for many children. Here's a blog post that talks about pacifier use, and there are a few strategies for taking it away - toddlertalk.com/blog/pacifier-speech-delay - and it talks about how pacifiers can contribute to a speech delay (But please don't feel guilty that you haven't taken it away yet!!!! We're all doing our best here, and I know you're trying really hard. I'm simply sharing because it may give you some more understanding of strategies or how it could impact speech). And as always, I recommend talking to your pediatirican for help finding a speech therapist or help with the pacifier. There are lots of different supports that can help if you want them :)

Since the final taking of your herbs, my son has been speaking well and responding to his name Thank you Dr Oyalo for saving my son with your herbs. I’m so happy to share this good news

Thanks for sharing your opinion here. My goal is to help parents work within the current medical system here in the United States. Unfortunately, you often need a diagnosis before insurance will pay for support. And I've seen so many families benefit from early intervention both personally and professionally that I really feel called to share what I know. I think it's important to remember that a diagnosis has nothing to do with a child's worth or who they will become; it's more about what support or help a child may have access to. Ultimately us parents get to decide what's best for our family and I'm just offering my perspective in case it helps give someone clarity.

Hi :) I am going to link a blog post in case you ever want to reference it. Big changes can definitely cause short-term language regression - toddlertalk.com/blog/my-toddler-is-not-saying-words-they-used-to

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience here. I am sure other parents are experiencing the same thing. I want to share a resource I have that can help you find activities and things you can do at home (that don't take a ton of extra time or resources) to practice communication. I often find it's about focusing on the baby steps (rather than trying for big steps)... it's a one step at a time kind of approach. And I think this tool does a nice job in guiding you through the baby steps. toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program Also I just want to say you're doing a great job 💛 I understand it can be so hard to go to therapy week after week and not see the progress you are hoping for. Remember it's always okay to talk to your therapist about this too, you can set goals together so you can celebrate the little steps as a team. And also, remember it's okay to take a break from therapy if/when you need it (you can always practice at home!) - talk openly with your speech therapist about what's working for you. You've got this!

Hi. I am going to link a great resource if you're looking to practice speech and language at home :) toddlertalk.com/toddler-talk-language-program

I hear you. It's so hard to watch our kids struggle, and I hope I can share some helpful resources with you. If it's available where you live, I'd definitely recommend reaching out to a speech therapist who an meet your son and give you specific recommendations. In addition, your pediatrician is a great person to talk to! I also want to share some resources for speech (pronunciation skills). Often when older children can understand everything but aren't able to get the words out, they can be struggling with speech. I have tons of videos and handouts to help you investigate at home - - th-cam.com/video/dnSqC6Fa1SE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_QZrUehIotlEYPOA - th-cam.com/video/tgMqtaaOM1Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=R6BCqWB3XchYkPcZ - th-cam.com/video/B7xARjwba94/w-d-xo.htmlsi=fOWuFCDMlte0idiJ - th-cam.com/video/-OiJ0niM3iI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=bNOB9d1Xf7qRUa4g

Thanks 😊

Congratulations on the switch! I'm sure it will be a little different and also so fun!!

Hi! All toddlers don't love books, and that's okay. You might enjoy this blog post I wrote about "reading" books with toddlers - toddlertalk.com/blog/speech-therapy-books If your child becomes easily frustrated when interacting with you, I'd recommend talking with your pediatrician. That's a little outside my scope, but I definitely want you to find support. If you're in the USA, you can also reach out to your local Early Intervention program which often has free services without a doctor's referral - www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/state-text.html

Hi, and thanks for reaching out. I'd love to share a few thoughts/ideas with you in hopes that one resonates or feels like a good next step for you and your son. If you have access to a speech therapist, I'd definitely recommend a speech and language evaluation - this can help you learn more about what might be causing the language regression so you can discover how best to support your son. You can read more about language evaluations and how to find a speech therapist here - toddlertalk.com/blog/iep-speech-therapy - if you are in the US you could get an evaluation for free through the school district! I also like to use parent strategies, because these don't require our children to do anything specific to have "success" - it's all about what we can do and say to help our little ones learn. Here are 4 of my favorite strategies you could try: toddlertalk.com/blog/focused-stimulation toddlertalk.com/blog/getting-face-to-face toddlertalk.com/blog/comments-over-questions toddlertalk.com/blog/toddler-imagination Lastly, here's a blog post where I talk about language regression in more depth in case you're interested - toddlertalk.com/blog/my-toddler-is-not-saying-words-they-used-to

​@@toddlertalkthank you, so much for this. I appreciate alot. I will look through them all. I'm so glad and grateful that you responded

Hi! I think it's always a balance of "strategies" when helping young children learn to communicate. You can definitely narrate what's happening, while also waiting for children to express their wants/needs. And it's also important to have quiet time, this gives children an opportunity to be the ones to start a conversation (and it also gives everyone a break!). Hope that was helpful :)

That's true, there's always new information! We speech therapists are required to do continuing education so we can stay up to date with the latest information and strategies.

They're an expert in their field until their field advances and then they catch up again. If you go by that logic, there is no such thing as an expert in everything 🤡