If Your Child Isn't Talking by Age Two...

I just read an interesting report on children and speech. According to the study 80 percent of children with language delays at age 2 will catch up by age 7. But this also means that for one in five late-talking toddlers, language delays will persist.

By age 2, children should have a vocabulary of about 50 words and be starting to combine those words in two- or three-word sentences.

The researchers found that boys are three times as likely as girls to be late-talking toddlers. Yet when the children were 7 years of age, no differences were found between girls and boys.

For children who are still late talkers in school, the researchers say it is very important to provide early intervention and enrichment. Parents may even want to contact a speech pathologist if they have any concerns.

The data collected in the research also indicates that a mother’s education, income, parenting style and mental health does not predict when a child will start to talk. This seems to debunk the widely held belief that parents or a poor home environment are to blame for a late-talking toddler.

Based on this information, it appears my 21-month-old grandson is way ahead of the curve. He has been speaking for at least four months. As a matter this morning, when he was on the potty, he said something I had never heard him say before. He called to me and when I went to see what he wanted, he said, “Never mind.”

He has it honest though. After all, his baby boomer diva grandmother is a journalist who loves to use words.