Normal speech development or a cause for concern?

[DrSeuss]

Dd will be two in May and currently has a vocab of around 25 words. Today for the first time she started putting words in a sentence. However, her comprehension is excellent, eg, last weekend she wanted a DVD but then lost interest and wondered off upstairs. DH followed her about ten minutes later and said to Ds that he could go and put a DVD on as his sister had wandered off. Cue DD running screaming to stop them, so she obviously understood! Yesterday I was using the loo with Dd in attendance, talking to her about how big girls didn't wear nappies. She ran to get the book about potty training that we last looked at a week ago.
DH didn't really talk much until he was two, when he suddenly started using sentences. He now has PhD, so it turned out OK in the end! My late father never used two words if one would do. Maybe she just takes after him. Ds talked early and fluently, he was well ahead of Dd at this age. On the other hand, he walked late and potty trained late. Dd loves books and her motor skills, fine and gross, are way ahead of his at the same age.
Should I be worried? She acquires a new word every two or three days at present. I'm loathe to ask the local Health Visitor, since a) she's useless, and b) a friend did and lived to regret it when they just would not let go once they started.
Opinions, please. Thanks.

[leobear]

Hi, not really sure what specifically you are worried about? I would say before 2 is relatively early to have started sentences. Most of the 2 year olds I know, including my own, didn't start joining words until about 23 or 24 months. Is it the number of words you are worried about? She'll probably just have an explosion of them, especially as she is picking up new ones every few days and making sentences.

[JollyYellowGiant]

Does she point?

[DrSeuss]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose it's just that others the same age seem to talk more, as did Ds. She points, yes, either to show interest in something or when asked to identify something in a book, eg, where's the dog? Her child minder feels she's doing fine. She has a large receptive vocab, she just doesn't say much.

[unlucky83]

DD2 really late learning to talk - she really didn't say much until 2.5 - didn't speak to an another adult until she was 3+ - I had been in touch with HV.
She is bright enough . She ended up with speech therapy from 4-6 -just stopped now and all fine. Her main problem was because she was late starting she was still learning to pronounce words when she had (actually advanced) vocabulary and sentence structure...she would have got there in the end but we were worried she was getting frustrated...(eg she was very upset when her class teacher thought our cat was called 'Yucky' -she couldn't say 'L').
Have a word with HV - maybe she needs her hearing tested - I wouldn't worry about 'not letting them go' - things like speech therapy are meant to help them - really shouldn't be a stigma...(I know when I asked another mum if her DS was having speech therapy (DD had mentioned he got stickers too) she was uncomfortable until I said DD was seeing her too...)
I was late starting to talk, had a stutter when I was young, struggled to say 'r' and 'th' - friends taught me to say 'squirrel' properly when I was in my early 20s - (no speech therapy in my day!) - still stutter sometimes (if nervous or if I think about it) - I usually know when I am going to stutter on a word and can change word automatically. I sometimes just can't say some words (eg physiologically) - I've got a PhD too and have managed to give presentations to a few 100 people ...
(actually last bad stuttering incident was 20+ years ago - trying to buy a bottle of stolichnaya vodka in an off-licence (behind the counter) ...never realised before how many makes of vodka start with an S! but got there in the end...)

[DrSeuss]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I really don't think it's the hearing, we've "home tested" ourselves and she can hear an unexpected whisper behind her. Also, the hearing test conducted just after birth found both ears to be fine. I might contact a healthcare professional but not the HV as none of my encounters have inspired confidence.

[brettgirl2]

Remember in terms of sentences it is putting words together. Therefore a lot of people who claim toddlers are talking in sentences are talking nonsense. I know someone who decided her child was talking in sentences because he said 'Christmas tree' and 'cup of tea' . It seems he was in fact so advanced he knew the difference between words and syllables.

[dozily]

Sounds really normal to me - doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about. Dd1 is a very good talker and was similar to your dd at the same age.

[DuttyWine]

Hi I recently did a really interesting speech development course and the lady running it said children generally need 50 single words before they can put 2 together. She also said not to worry too much about words, as eye contact and gesture was so much more important with under 3's.

[SminkoPinko]

I don't think I would be too worried at this stage at all. She's not yet 2 and most advice available online (this is typical) suggests she's not hugely off track, if at all. She obviously understands everything so receptive language skills are there and you say she is picking up new words every few days and using 2 words together. She sounds fine and poised to go through the speech and language explosion that happens between now and 4 years. if you are still worried in 6 - 12 months you could take her to the GP and request a referral to speech therapy but I really don't think you have undue cause for concern at this stage.

[DrSeuss]

Thanks, as I said, Ds was an above average talker and that probably gave me a false idea of normal. However, she walked much earlier, he potty trained late and she is more advanced than he was in other ways. Plus, she's the cutest, funniest, most loving little girl in the entire world, as are your children I'm sure!

[SminkoPinko]

She sounds adorable. :)

[DrSeuss]

Thanks, we think she's a keeper!

[mumblemumhome4lunch]

My 1st DS had 2 words at 2. We had a card from the HV listing their milestones for 2yrs and I remember really worrying that he only had 2 and not the 20 they said was average! He was pretty slow and unclear right up til he started school but now (8yrs) he NEVER shuts up.
My DD had hundreds of words before she got to 2 including mayonaise and croissant and was making extended sentances. Was a real eye opener into how much such a small child can actually understand after DS1 lack of communication!!

DS2 (4 yeasterday) was also late starting to talk and is still very very unclear......he has suffered a lot with glue ear and is having speach therapy (as I did) which is massively helpful.....don't be worried about it, if it helps them communicate it's worth it. Thankfully we live in a rural area and he knows all the other kids he will be starting school with, and his teacher (2 already at the school) otherwise I think he'd really be going to struggle.

I think she sounds fine. My DS3 is also 2 in May and has not a bad vocabulary, prob about the same as your DD and great new words coming on every day which is so exciting, today it was his version of 'jellyfish' because DD has been singing a new song from school to him and it's obviously now his new favourite song

[Gruntfuttocks]

If everything else is normal, then I wouldn't worry. My parents used to go on and on about DS1 and how he wasn't talking properly compared to how I was at age 2 and it really bugged me. We could understand each other perfectly and he could communicate his needs and that was all he needed at that age. Fast forward to secondary school and he was winning prizes for public speaking.....
Sounds like your DD is absolutely fine.