A 2-year-old child does not speak. What time do children start talking? When does the child say the first word?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 12:45

What to do if a child does not speak at 2 years old? How to react to parents? Are there teaching methods aimed at developing speech? When does the child say the first word? Which specialists to contact? Read about it in our article.

What time do babies start talking?

Usually, by the age of one, babies confidently pronounce the simplest words: “give”, “mom”, “woman”, “dad”. This is the time when the child says his first word, even if unconsciously. By the age of two and a half, the child, in theory, should not only replenish his vocabulary, but also learn how to put simple sentences out of words: “Give me a bear!”, “Let's go for a walk!”, “Buy a ball!”, “Give me a pen!” etc. But what if a child at 2 years old does not speak at all or utters indistinct sounds understandable only to his mother? Why does the baby have "porridge in his mouth" when his peers are already "chirping" with might and main? Is it worth talking about some kind of backwardness in this case, or is such stubborn silence just an individual feature? And most importantly - how to teach a child who has reached the age of two or three to speak?

Reason for silence

There are many reasons why a child does not speak at 2 years old.

1. Hearing loss. When the baby does not hear very well, then, accordingly, he will perceive the speech of others poorly. In more severe cases (up to deafness), the baby may not speak at all or severely distort sounds and words in general.
2. Heredity. If, for example, you yourself uttered the first intelligible words late, then there is nothing strange in the fact that a child at 2 years old does not speak. Although, if the baby has not mastered simple sentences by the age of three, it is worth worrying and examining the child.
3. Weakening of the body. Prematurity or a serious illness, for example, can cause a delay in the maturation (development) of the nervous system and, therefore, speech itself.

4. Hypoxia.

5. Injuries (including birth injuries).
6. Severe intoxication.
7. Fright.
8. Rescheduled.
9. Improper upbringing (for example, excessive guardianship, when the wishes of the child are literally foreseen).
10. Developmental disorders in general.

There are rumors among parents that girls supposedly start walking and talking earlier than boys. In fact, this theory has no substantiated evidence. It happens that a child does not want to speak for two or even three years, and then he suddenly “breaks through” into whole, correctly composed sentences. If the baby understands perfectly well what the parents say to him andaround and at the same time even follows some simple instructions (“come”, “take”, “put”, “sit down”, etc.), then there is most likely nothing to worry about.

Active speech can come on suddenly

If the baby repeats after you the words that you tell him, this does not mean at all that he really learns them. Do not torture, do not force him to say what you want to hear. In some children, imitation may be delayed. Try to invite the baby to talk. For example, ask your child questions more often, do not rush to fulfill wishes (let him voice them). Children have their own rhythms of development. Of course, there are so-called "norms", but one should not forget about individuality. Someone shows teeth later, someone skips the crawling period and immediately starts running. Therefore, if the child does not speak much, do not panic. Just give the little one time. Do not hurry. Do not do for him what he could do on his own (put on slippers, or drink milk, or eat). Does not work? Help. But only in such a way that it is unobtrusive. Push your little one to independence.

And many psychologists also advise turning on the TV less often, since your speech practically merges with the sounds from the TV, respectively, your child perceives your voice as general noise. Therefore, in most cases, it depends on parents what time children start talking.

Which professionals could help?

If a child does not speak at two years old, find outthe reason for the silence. What specialists will be required? First of all, a pediatrician. He will not only conduct a general examination, but also give referrals to narrow children's specialists: ENT specialist, speech therapist, neurologist, psychiatrist.

Speech therapist, after testing, will determine the correspondence between the levels of speech and mental development. To confirm or refute, he may send the baby for examination to a psychoneurologist.

The task of the lore is to check if there is a relationship between speech delay and problems with the articulatory apparatus (for example, a shortened hyoid frenulum) and hearing. The doctor will examine the oral cavity, make an audiogram.

The sooner a problem is found out, the easier it is to deal with it. But what if the baby is he althy and intellectually developed? Some experts say that parents should wait up to three years, since this is the age at which there is a sharp jump in all development, and after a long silence the child can speak not just in separate phrases, but in whole sentences. By the way, such children not only do not lag behind their peers in studies, but sometimes even surpass them. Of course, if a child does not speak at 2 years old, one cannot simply wait for this wonderful leap. We need to help him develop using simple and rather exciting methods.

When should I start teaching my baby to talk?

Definitely, this question cannot be answered. Actually, the learning process, in fact, begins in the womb. It has been proven that the child perceives sounds and reacts to them while still in his mother's tummy. Hecalms down, “listening” when a woman sings a song or, on the contrary, “fights” when she swears. Psychology is a subtle science, and what is laid down before birth will definitely manifest itself after. Active activities with the baby should start when the baby:

• trying to explain something with sounds (or gestures);
• not only hears everything, but also understands speech;
• alone talks nonsense, but quite clearly pronounces almost all sounds.

Relationship between speech development and fine motor skills

Until six months, the child enthusiastically repeats the facial expressions of his mother, who is talking to him. However, this imitation has been weakening since seven months. The kid is actively exploring such a rich outside world, and his attention to his parents is no longer so focused.

It is noticed that speech development runs in parallel with the development of motor skills. Of particular importance lies in the opposition of the thumb to all others. Let the baby roll the ball, teach him to work with plasticine, buy him multi-colored wooden beads (bigger). By the age of one and a half, start mastering more complex manipulations:

• fastening locks and buttons;
• knot tying;
• lacing (not yet about the ability to tie shoelaces on shoes, teach your baby to put shoelaces into small holes), etc.

The movements of the left hand are responsible for the development of the right hemisphere and vice versa. Very useful are those joint games that containfinger curl elements.

Critical periods in the development of speech function

Doctors distinguish several periods:

1. Between the first and second years in speech development, there are clear prerequisites for speech. This is the time of "babble" words: "la-la", "nya-nya", "la-la", "ba-ba", etc. Already at this time, you need to think about how to teach the child to speak correctly. Often ask the baby to show a bird, horse, cow, dog, cat, etc. Encourage him to pronounce (sound) actions. The ideal role model is your own. Teach your baby new movements: "sit down", "give", "lay down", "take". Use games in which actions are performed at the command of adults: "Patty", "Magpie-Crow", "Top-Top", etc.

2. Between 1.5 and 2.2 years old, children try to connect two or even three words. What can a baby usually say at this age? For example, such phrases as: “De woman?”, “Give me a pee”, etc. By this age, the child learns generalized concepts. The word "no", for example, is used in all sorts of situations. Begin to increase the number and narrow the meaning of the words understood by the baby: name the details of clothing (hat, sock, blouse, tights, etc.), furniture, toys. It is important to comment on the actions used: “take a toy”, “put on a shirt”, “fasten a button”, etc. It is advisable to accompany any action of the baby with an appeal.

   

3. By the age of 2, 6, the baby's vocabulary begins to grow rapidly. He's already on his ownasks, pointing a finger at an unfamiliar object: “What is this?” It is difficult to say what time children start talking. If we mean already conscious speech (not a period of imitation), then, perhaps, it is at this age. The child does not pronounce the words clearly enough, often distorts them. And adults, trying to "go down to the level" of the child, also begin to distort their conversation, slowing down the development of the baby's speech. Indeed, why should a child learn to pronounce words clearly and correctly, if they understand it like that? Remember: the baby must hear all the words in the correct pitch! Then by the age of three - three and a half years, he himself will speak quite well. By this age, words will change in cases and numbers, and sentences will become more complex. However, it is impossible to overestimate the requirements, otherwise the child will simply close. By the way, this is one of the reasons why the child does not speak.
4. Three years - the time when the child moves to contextual speech. It already requires consistency of attention, memory, analysis, speech and motor apparatus. The mismatch of the central nervous system can cause stubbornness and negativism on the part of the baby. This system is still quite vulnerable, therefore, against the background of stress (even a small one), so-called mutism and stuttering are possible. By the way, disruptions are possible even at the age of 6-7, when the time comes to begin the development of written speech. At this time, the central nervous system is under heavy load and is on the verge of stress.

If speech delay is not associated with CNS disease…

If a child at 2 years old does not speak, if he refuses to repeat the words after you,if he does not seek help and solves his children's problems on his own, help in the development of speech is definitely needed. Some parents attribute this behavior to obstinacy or early independence and do not hear the “first bells”. Ignoring leads to a lag in speech development. This, in turn, is fraught with aggravation of stubbornness and self-will. Hysterical reactions may also intensify. If a child of 2.5 years old does not speak, and adults endlessly pester him with a request to “repeat”, “say”, you can also wait for an increase in negativism. As a result, your child will not only not want to duplicate words, but will also shut up altogether. Forget about such requests. At least for a while.

What to do?

Firstly, create conditions in which the child will be forced to communicate. An excellent option - playgrounds, ideal - a kindergarten. Children there develop faster, because they are not only forced to take an example from peers who are already communicating with might and main, but also somehow express desires and needs. Many children, who were silent for up to three years, suddenly begin to “give out” such complex words as “armored personnel carrier”, “synchrophasotron”, etc. By the way, they often begin to speak alone with themselves, completely refusing to communicate with adults.

Try to diversify the experience of the child. He must daily receive new emotions and knowledge. Let it be trips to the circus, to the park, to nature. Do you experience a storm of emotions when a child says the first word? Imagine - your baby also has an ocean of feelings, and he will want to share them with you.

Andbe sure to do it. The development of speech is a painstaking process that requires perseverance, regimen, and patience. Get ready for the fact that you will not be limited to classes with a speech therapist.

Responsibilities of parents

Take care of your baby. But turn the lessons into a game. Say the names of the objects that you will see together. If the baby does not repeat them - do not insist, let the training be inconspicuous, unobtrusive. Sincerely rejoice if your child pronounces a new word. Praise him. Do not anticipate all the desires of the crumbs, put leading questions: “What color?”, “Do you want to eat?”, “What is the cow doing?” Moreover, the complexity of the answers increase gradually, starting with a simple one. Read nursery rhymes, fairy tales, sing songs to your baby. And be sure to reproduce sounds (meowing, buzzing), encouraging attempts to repeat what you just said. Do not lisp - the words must be pronounced correctly, clearly. Comment on the actions (both his and yours). Teach your baby to grimace (stretch your lips, stretch them into a tube, click your tongue), this is an excellent exercise for the articulatory apparatus. If the baby expresses desires with some gestures, correct him by voicing his desires in an interrogative form: “Do you want to drink?”, “Did the toy fall?” etc. Keep a diary in which you will make all the changes: new sounds, words, onomatopoeia. This will make it easier to track the growth of speech development.

Talking games for kids

This is another weighty coin in the piggy bank. This type of activity will appeal to children who love to watchtelevision. If a child does not speak at 2 years old, pick up discs with such games for him. Learning will turn into real fun!

Games are developed taking into account the characteristic age characteristics of children. Here is the development of speech, and the expansion of horizons in general. Each age has its own program, which is also divided into topics: sound pronunciation (“Buzz”, “Tick-tock”, etc.), development of horizons (“Pets”, “Wild animals”, “Who said “mu” here) etc.), development of attention, memory, hearing (“Riddles of sounds”, “Visiting a bug”, “Wizard”, “Fairy”, etc.), development of breathing (mainly games with a microphone: “Helicopter”, “Bee”, “Cake and candles”), a speaking alphabet for children and even joint creativity (you can invent big and small stories, compare, name, repeat). Children perceive such activities much better, because they really take place in a playful way. On the one hand, adults do not press, on the other hand, the baby is given independence (of course, under your supervision, but he does not even know about it). There is also articulatory gymnastics, which to some extent can replace a speech therapist. This entire collection is called "Learning to speak" for children from 2 to 7 years old.