2 year old, not talking very much

My 2 1/2 year old grandson doesn't talk much, and when he does, it is hard to understand him. For instance when he says the word "socks" it sounds like "boc".  Is there anything we can do at this age to help him.  Should he be in speach therapy?  Also, he is not talking in sentences, but says one or two words together. Should we worry?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Teresa,

By the age of two, many children are using very simple phrases, not too many and not too long. And, between the ages of two and three years, vocabualry and language proceeds steadily.

However, as with all areas of development, there is wide variation, and the spectrum of normal is wide. So I don't think there's reason to be alarmed re: your grandson's acquisition of speech.

Relative to his articulation, the same thing applies - i.e., there's a wide spectrum of normal for the age. It wouldn't hurt, though, and might illuminate things, to seek an evaluation by a Speech/Language specialist (included can be an audiological examination). If there is a problem, these two assessments will pinpoint it and, if necessary, some intervention can occur.