Oral Language Development

Hi Dr. Kennedy: I posted a few months ago, asking a question about declarative pointing. You correctly indicated I should wait and allow my son to develop.  He is now 21 months old and points at many things to show interest.  He enjoys pretend play and playing hide and seek.  He seems to relate well to children at his daycare and in other social settings.  I do have a question about oral language development though.  He says, or has said, more than 70 different words, using more than half of them habitually.  But he uses only a pair of two-word sentences (what's dat? and ge-rage door).  Most of the language development milestones I read suggest he could be using more two-word sentences by now.  His doctor saw him at 18 months and was not concerned with his development.  We don't see the doctor for a well visit between 18 months and 2 years.  I should also point out, his word understanding is excellent.  I can ask him to get his shoes from the front hall, sit in his eating chair, get his pyjamas from the closet, etc., and he happily complies consistently. I can even ask him to find a picture in a certain book, which he'll take off the shelf, scroll through and point at the picture.  Should I be concerned with his verbal output? What can we do to encourage more speaking? I apologize if I am being a tad over-analytical. However, much of the toddler development literature I come across is ambivalent.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Here's the thing: inrelation to development in many areas, the spectrum of normal is pretty broad. Your son's receptive language development is outdistancing his expressive language development, but he's on the right track. Don't be too concerned that in that area he is a bit delayed. Most children have areas in which they are more intact than in other areas. When you communicate with your son, try to focus on helping him express himself. For example, let's say you went with him to a circus. Instead of asking: "Did you like the circus?" (a question he can answer with a single word), ask: "What did you think of the circus?" or "What did you like about the circus?" In other words, converse in ways that draw him out a bit so that he is getting 'practice' in expressing his point of view.

[rwscaf]

Thank you for your prompt response. Your advice is always sensible. My question now is: is there a point where I should seek additional medical advice? For example, if he is still not forming two-word sentences and using pronouns, etc. by the two-year mark is it advisable to seek a language assessment? He seems to be forming new words and sounds daily.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

I would suggest waiting until around 30 months of age before you consider specialized evaluation. You're going to see a lot of momentum develop now.