My fifteen month old son, Eddie, is a happy, energetic, smart, and curious toddler. He was within the normal range walking (14 months), but to hear every other mother in the universe bragging abaout their child walking at seven months, eight months, etc. you would think there was something wrong with him. This competition among mothers is common, although detrimental to everyone. The ones bragging most loudly about their children are going to be the most disappointed when their child misses a step (and all children do at one point).
Anyway, that's not what I want to talk about. This competition leads to doubts among mothers. Is my child smart enough? Is my child strong enough? How aware is he compared to other children his age? Why can't he pick up a spoon yet? These are only a few of the questions that all mothers ask themselves. The one I am asking myself is, "Does my toddler have a speech or language problem?"
Jimmy was talking in sentences when he was a little over one. This is not bragging, because that was his one thing to master. He didn't care about puzzles, or using his hands much, or moving around. That kid needed to have his say and have it clearly. Even at five, he has the language skills of someone twice his age. But with every other milestone he was within the average range. That kid is not meant to be quiet!
But Eddie is past fifteen months and doesn't really have any regular words yet. There's mama and dada of course, but that's about it. He can say almost all the letters in his babbling, which is normal for his age, and he has repeated tons of words I have said. Once. Among the words he has spoken are cat, banana, dog, more, tree, snow, outside, bird, apple and tons more. But he will not say them twice. He understands a lot though. He can follow directions like "Get your boots and bring them here," and he has gestures for everything. He has some regular sounds for specific things, such as "dat" for ball and "na" for any type of food, but not words that make sense or even sound like the real word.
All the baby and toddler guides for language development say that at the very least he should have five clear, understandable, regular words by this age. He has one. Aside from mama and dada, he has "nana" for banana. So should I be worried? Should I talk to his doctor and ask to see a speech pathologist? I don't know. I think I will give him a couple more weeks to see if he starts talking more, but if he doesn't, maybe I will get someone to evaluate him. Or maybe not. I've heard of kids who haven't said a single word until they are three, and then begin talking normally. I guess it's a question of whether I want to diagnose a problem where there might not be one, or ignore a problem where there might be one.
Eddie is extremely advanced though when it comes to dexterity. He was using a spoon appropriately (and even sort of neatly) by eleven months. He can put together block puzzles and take things apart like a three year old. Again, not bragging. That is HIS one thing. He is not learning impaired. I have often said that he has "cute baby syndrome," which means he is so cute he doesn't need to speak. People just get him what he wants. He communicates it easily enough, just not with words.
I know most parents can or will someday be able to relate to this. At some point, every child will cause his parents to wonder if he is "normal." He is. It doesn't make me worry less though. But I will have faith in my child and let him move at his own pace, offering support when he needs it and accepting him no matter what.
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