Toddler Talk Q+A: Your Guide to 2-Year Old Speech & Language Development

Welcome to Toddler Talk Q+A: Your Guide to 2-Year-Old Speech Development!
I'm Stephanie Hatleli, a speech therapist based in California, and I understand the concerns and questions that parents of 2-year-olds have about their child's speech and language development. After collecting hundreds of questions from parents just like you on our Instagram community (@toddler_talk_), I've put together a comprehensive Q+A video to address the most common inquiries.
In this video, we'll cover a range of topics relevant to 2-year-olds, including when toddlers start putting words together, understanding phonological processes or toddler speech errors, the impact of ear infections on speech and language development, learning to pronounce their own name, and managing stuttering in toddlers.
To provide you with the best support, I've included links to free resources that delve deeper into each question and offer engaging activities you can do at home to foster your child's communication skills.
Join me in this Toddler Talk Q+A session, designed specifically for moms of toddlers, as we explore these important topics together. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with fellow moms who can benefit from this valuable resource. Let's dive in!
QUESTIONS & TIMESTAMPS
0:48 Q1: When should toddlers start putting 2 words together
1:43 Q2: My child is having trouble with the “P” sound. They say “Sassy” instead of “Paci,” is that normal?
3:44 Q3: My just turned 2 year old isn’t saying any words. He’s been diagnosed with glue ear.
7:20 Q4: Should I be worried my newly turned 2 year old cannot pronounce his name clearly.
9:44 Q5: Is it normal for a 2-year-old to only say the first part of a word and leave off the ending?
10:52 Q6: My 2-year-old is replacing the "F" sound with an "S" sound. Is that normal?
12:28 Q7: An overview of toddler stuttering.
16:30 Q8: Sometimes it's hard to understand what my 3-year-old is saying. Should I be worried?
RESOURCES
👉Teaching toddlers to put 2 words together - toddlertalk.com/blog/putting-...
👉Toddler speech “errors” - toddlertalk.com/blog/phonolog...
👉Baby sign language - toddlertalk.com/blog/baby-sig...
👉Find a speech therapist near me - Find an SLP - toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-f...
👉What to expect at a toddler speech & language evaluation - toddlertalk.com/blog/does-my-...
👉Help my toddler say their name - toddlertalk.com/blog/help-you...
👉Toddler speech sounds by age - toddlertalk.com/blog/what-is-...
👉Toddler stuttering - toddlertalk.com/blog/toddler-...
👉Speech Intelligibility - toddlertalk.com/blog/speech-i...
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The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional. By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com or Toddler Talk social media channels, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing Toddler Talk's content.

[@uuzjr5354]

Extremely helpful channel for someone studying speech and language therapy. Thank you!! 🙏

[@toddlertalk]

Thank you! So happy you find it helpful!

[@pikotech1]

Thanks Stephanie. Just found your channel and subscribed while working my way through your videos.
Question for you if you see this, and feel like advising at all please:
My 2.5 year old is great learning new words. She'll repeat almost anything, pronunciation is well within the expectations you've described.
The main problem is she's become far too efficient at using 1 word to get what she wants, rarely combining 2 words or more.
A few examples:
She can point at me and say "down" when she wants me to sit down and play with her
When something is over, it's always "more" rather than more food, more milk, more water, etc
She has no problem understanding the majority of what we say to her, and can follow multi step instructions. Beyond this she can make choices when asked too "Would you like an apple or a banana?"
I believe most of this problem is down to my wife and I knowing what she means with one word (or the occasional two word responses).
Do you think this is something to worry about?
How can we encourage multi word communication when she seems to have learnt (and we respond to) one word communication so well.
I really do believe it's perhaps ourselves that have slowed "language" (not speech - I've watched a lot of your videos and know the difference now) down, by responding well and understanding many, many one word statements.
Love everything you published so far, and it's great to see such quality content. Thank you for your videos and any advice you might have to offer.

[@toddlertalk]

Hi, thanks for reaching out! I'm happy to share some resources with you, including tips and activities I use to encourage children to talk in 2-word combinations and phrases. I actually have a few blog posts that talk all about this, I will link them here: - toddlertalk.com/blog/putting-2-words-together
- toddlertalk.com/blog/2-word-phrase-to-request
- toddlertalk.com/blog/2-word-phrase-to-comment
Unfortunately without meeting your daughter, I can't say if not combining words is "something to worry about." I recommend consulting with your doctor or a speech therapist in your area to dive into more specifics about how to best support your little girl. Here's an additional resource for how to get started with that process - toddlertalk.com/blog/how-to-find-a-pediatric-speech-therapist-near-me

[@evykur4494]

Thank you for this information. Very useful for me to understand my two years and 7 months grandson.

[@toddlertalk]

Wonderful! So glad it was helpful

[@ellathe-wiz5919]

Hi steffani❤ a new follower here🎉...can i know if animal sounds are considered as words or only their names?....thanks for all the helpful videos!

[@toddlertalk]

Hi! Yes, animal sounds count as words for toddlers. In general, the sounds are much easier for toddlers to pronounce, so they will use the animal sounds to label or talk about specific animals. Here's a blog post that talks more about it if you're interested - toddlertalk.com/blog/what-counts-as-a-word

[@ellathe-wiz5919]

Oh okay! I'm def going to check it out💓
Thanks alot for all the help and everything you're doing! very much appreciated ❤❤❤

[@ZunairaSiyal]

hello.
my 4 year old brother cant talk, he would play and all but, he barely answer any questions (depending upon his moods) otherwise he gets hyper and all. he's been doing speech therapy for over 6 months now. but not much progress is absorbed.
what do u think we should do, even though his doctor said it's not autism(but no further diagnosis given) hope u hear from u soon. thanks😃

[@toddlertalk]

Hi! I am going to share a great blog post on my website that talks all about autism, and how you can get an evaluation. I think you'll find lots of valuable information there! toddlertalk.com/blog/is-my-child-autistic
Also, if you live in the US, you can get a free evaluation through your state's early intervention program without a doctor's referral. I am going to link a resource page with phone numbers for each state - www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/state-text.html

[@ZunairaSiyal]

@@toddlertalk unfortunately we don't live in the states, instead in central Asia with not many cooperative doctors. i have a feeling this is the main reason that our mom would cry for hours n end just because no doctor has given us any official diagnosis. but recently i found ur channel and watched u vid of difference speech delay vs autism personally i don't think many of the characteristics that u explained of autism really match other than the fact that they can get hyper. but his therapist said that he gets hyper because he can't get us to understand him since he can't talk.
but thanx for the reply i'll make sure to check out the blog.

[@wadejones69]

Hello was wondering you you could help me with this- my son is 19 months, he understands everything i say as he will respond physically or repeat one word i say but he will not say anything on his own other then glass (if he sees something glass or sharp), mama (calling me), daddy (calling his dad) or bot bot (asking for his bottle. How do i help him say more words without hearing it first?

[@toddlertalk]

Hi. I can definitely make some suggestions :)
First, I want to share my favorite strategy for teaching toddlers to say new words. Often times they need to hear a word and practice repeating it countless times before they start saying it on their own. Practicing with this strategy can help them get more practice, so maybe they'll say a word on their own a little sooner. (And remember, repeating back words they hear is a step towards saying words on their own!) toddlertalk.com/blog/focused-stimulation
You might also like to check out these tips and activities for helping toddlers say their first words on their own (without repeating you) - toddlertalk.com/blog/first-words
I hope you find these resources helpful!

[@patelzalak6885]

My baby said kick ball should I count as 2 words phrases ??

[@toddlertalk]

Yes! If your child says "ball" as a single word and is now saying "kick ball" that is a 2-word phrase.