Baby Talking Points

From American Academy of Pediatrics

Typically at around 12 months, the first word your children utter will stop your tracks. But what if she/he taking longer to speak than her/his fellows are?

Speech delays are the most common of all developmental delays so no need to panic. A reassuring study from Australia found that this group didn't experience any greater risk of behavioral or emotional problem than her/his verbose pals and most late talkers will catch up by grade school.

More important thing is that 'late talking' is the baby's ability to communicate in prevalent, If he's/she's using facial expressions, using many gestures, pointing and vocalizing to draw attention and express emotions, then her/his late talk is no major cause for alarm just yet.  And most importantly, the best way to encourage speech is talk a lot and read a lot to your baby yourself.

And by the time he/she turn 18 months and still hasn't said a single word, then start a conversation with your pediatrician. The doctor will also want to check other possible issues, such as a hearing problem. And early therapy can make a big difference.

Below are the when and what typical talk:

• 12 to 15 Months: Listen closely to that first word (baba, mama, etc)

• 15 to 18 Months: You may hear inflection such as a raised tone when asking a question or want something

• 18 Months: She/he may speak just a few word but likely knows 50 and learning more daily

• 18 to 24 Months: Your baby says 50 to 70 words and understands more than 200

• 25 to 36 Months: He/she knows 300 words and getting the hang of pronouns 

Source: google, children.org