Joanna Fortune: My toddler understands everything but only has a few words. Should we worry?
Example: Half To Three Shoe Words Many Fortune: Joanna 100 Different Children You Two And Your Dr Up " Instructions, “can And Years, And To Step Please?' "between Follow Two 50 A For Me, Pick Can Use And Bring It
Your worry is one I hear a lot in my clinics. Some typical speech and language development guidelines can alert us if our little ones need additional support. For example, most two-year-old children can generally combine two to three words and use 'I', 'me’, 'we' and 'mine'. Between two and a half and three years, many children can use 50 to 100 different words and follow two-step instructions, for example: “Can you pick up your shoe and bring it to me, please?'.
Some children will also ask questions starting with 'who/what/where/why', such as 'Where is Teddy?'. They should also be able to say or attempt their name between two and three years and be responsive to it being called. While their speech is still developing, around this age, their family can generally understand what they are saying, even if others cannot.
I repeatedly use the words 'some' and 'many' when I outline the above language milestones because children at this age will develop speech at different paces. If your child has an older sibling, they may have an interpreter who speaks for them. Her speech may be a little slower if your child has other developmental considerations. If she is being raised in a bi or multi-lingual household, this might slow speech development. If she has challenges with her hearing, this can also be reflected in slower speech development patterns.
Your little one has either recently had or is soon to have her two-year developmental review at your primary care centre. If you haven’t been given an appointment, call your public health nurse and ask for it to be scheduled, letting them know that you have a question about speech development. Depending on how this goes, you could also consider having your child’s hearing checked.
In the meantime, try these word games at home yourself:
- Talk to her about everyday things and narrate what you are doing when out and about: 'After we go to the shop, we will go to the park to play' and 'Do you hear the dog barking? The dog says woof, woof, woof.'
- Invite her to repeat some words you use, such as 'What does the dog say?' or 'Can you say, please?'
- Spend at least 15 minutes daily fully immersed in play with your child without distractions. Follow her lead in the play as much as possible, and introduce rhymes and singing, as these promote repetition and familiarity.
- Minimise other distractions and noises when you are talking with her, such as turning off the TV or lowering the radio in the car.
- Explore ways to build on her language by starting with what she says. For example, if she says 'Dada,' you can say, 'Where is Dada? Is he outside? Is he cooking?' Or if she says 'Roar,' you can say, 'Who says roar? Dinosaurs roar! Let’s roar like a dinosaur, let’s stomp like a dinosaur, let’s chomp like a dinosaur.'
Try not to worry. You know she understands you and is happy and smiling. She is still very young and developing her language skills, and there are so many ways that you can playfully support her in this.
- If you have a question for child psychotherapist Dr Joanna Fortune, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie