Need information -- worried about 13 month old's development

[Anonymous]

Hi -

I need some benchmarks and information from any parents willing to share. My daughter is 13 months old. She only has four sounds (b, d, g and m). She laughs and squeals but does not really babble. We believe she may say "b" for book but not consistently. We think she says her brother's name but it's all vowels and it could just be a happy noise. She does not follow any commands -- for example, if you say "give mommy the ball", she does not do that. She does not seem to have any word recognition. For example, if I say, see the doggie? She is not looking for a doggie. This is very different than our son at the same age. She is however very curious and very physical. I'm curious what other 13 month old kids are doing. I am concerned, so please no nasty responses.

[Anonymous]

My DD is also 13 months and very similar. She has started saying UhOh, but it doesn't seem to have a particular meaning for her. She's a preemie, so she has had regular developmental evaluations and the docs have said she is on track with her language development, definitely not early, but also not behind. She goes to a home daycare and is similar to or more verbal than the other same aged kids.

[Anonymous]

Ok, this is encouraging. Glad your daughter is thriving!

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a hard time believing that you posted just to compare. I more believe, from the pit of your stomach that you believe something to be wrong. Always listen to your gut. If you have the slightest inkling that something may be askew, get her checked out and evaluated.

[Anonymous]

Oh here - yes, that's how I feel. But, it's hard. My husband and daycare think that she's fine. And, because she is so curious and happy and active, she doesn't hit any of the traditional warning signs. I just feel sort of lost. She is being evaluated next week but I thought benchmarks might help me prepare.

[Anonymous]

Have her hearing checked. My DD was similar to yours, but she also had some hearing issues that caused a delay in speech development. She caught up pretty quickly once the hearing issue was resolved (she had ear fluid that was causing hearing loss, ear tubes helped with that). Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Hm. My DD is almost 12 months old and doesn't really do any of those things, either. She seems 'normal' to me, however, and, in fact, I see her as my genius "little snowflake" (to appropriate the aspersion cast on children of blindly proud parents ).

Can one month really make such a difference?

[Anonymous]

My DS was about the same at 13 months. Now at 18 months, he's got a handful of words, babbles all the time and definitely understand directions (actually in two languages).

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all. Her hearing is fine. So, we know it's not that. Maybe she's ok. I guess the real issue is that I don't see any improvement.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is the same age, and pretty much the same. No words, limited sounds, though she does respond to simple instructions (give me the ball), occasionally. My DS was much more verbal at this age, but a late walker. She is walking and climbing like crazy so I am thinking that she is focused on gross motor stuff right now, and that the verbal component will happen later.

[Anonymous]

She may just have a speech delay....it could be both receptive and expressive. It isn't the end of the world and pretty mild on the spectrum of things that could be wrong. My DS had a speech delay but now at 3 doesn't stop talking. He still has some articulation issues but I'm so glad he went through early intervention and started speech therapy at 18 months as he is mostly caught up. How is her eye contact and sociall skills?

[Anonymous]

My 13 month old has been walking for almost 4 months, and makes lots of noises, but no real words besides mama and dada. She has a word for dog, but only I know what it means. She will bring me an object (shoe or book) if I ask her too.
I think there is a huge range at this point. If you are really concerned why not schedule an appointment with your child's ped? They know much better than we do, and he or she will be straight if he or she suspects a delay.

[Anonymous]

She is still very young, so take heart OP. This may be a moot point with a few months.

Do get the evaluation and a hearing test and tympanogram preferably by an ENT. She has to be significantly delayed by a certain percentage to qualify for services. If you don't qualify call back in 6 months and repeat hearing tests if things don't improve.

If she gets closer to two years without much change on the verbal front, consider making an appointment at Children's or Kennedy Krieger for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Kids can have receptive/expressive speech delays and/or be on the spectrum. So it's good to sort these things out, but keep in mind she is still VERY young. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what your personality type is, but are you a bit of a worrier? I tend to worry about development and health, so when it comes to those two issues, I sometimes need to take into account the opinions of other people in the picture (like DH, teacher, etc.) before making a decision. I'm not saying not to trust your own intuition, but I think teachers are usually have a good sense about development, so I'd put more weight into what he/she says and consider giving it some time.

[Anonymous]

More concerning than the rest is not following simple (one step) directions and showing comprehension of single words. I would make an appointment with Chidlren's NMC Speech/Language now as it will take several months to be seen and if things imporve markedly, you can always cancel. We went at 18 months and while child didn't qualify for services, she was a borderline concern and they gave us a great deal of helpful homework and information. Good Luck!