18 Month Old Speech Milestones

Watching your child grow and learn new things is such a rewarding experience. While it brings many feelings of happiness and joy, some parents may find themselves wondering and even worrying about whether or not their child is hitting the many milestones for their age. 

The various categories of important milestones, according to the CDC are:

• Social/Emotional Milestones
• Language/Communication Milestones
• Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
• Movement/Physical Development Milestones

These milestones consist of things that most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age. 

18-Month-Old Communication Milestones

Toddlers are typically developing a variety of speech and language skills between the ages of 1 and 2. Some common communication milestones are:

Vocabulary - By 18 months old, most children have 10-20  words in their vocabulary that they use regularly. These words may include but are not limited to, mama, dada, no, mine, dog, cat, as well as familiar names. They may also mimic animal sounds like moo and woof. 

Speech Sounds - While an 18-month-old’s speech may not always be clear, they will make at least 4 consonant sounds (/p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /d/, /t/, /w/, /h/). 

Understanding - An 18-month-old toddler will typically respond to their name as well as simple instructions such as “wave” and “Where’s your nose?”

Gestures - An 18-month-old may point to an item they are interested in.

When should I be concerned about my 18 month old’s speech?

By 18 months old, most toddlers will have 10-20 words in their vocabulary. The words can be simple words such as mama, dada, no and may include names. They also are likely to make at least 4 consonant sounds and mimic sounds, words, and phrases that they hear. If your child is not saying any words or sounds, it may indicate an underlying issue.

The good news is that there are many ways that you can encourage your child to talk, which we will discuss further below. 

An 18-month-old typically will show interest in social interactions. They should respond when their name is called. Typically they can understand and follow simple instructions such as asking them to wave or to point to their eyes. 

It is important to remember that every child is different. If your child is not meeting the speech milestones or is showing signs of speech delay, it may be time to discuss with their pediatrician.

How to Encourage a Toddler to Talk

Encouraging your toddler to talk can be fun as well as rewarding for you both. If your child has delayed speech, there are many ways that you can help get them back on track. Here are some helpful tips that can be done through everyday interactions:

Talk to Your Child Often

• Although the conversation may be one way, for now, talking to your toddler is incredibly important for language development. The more you talk to them, the more language that they will be exposed to. Narrating your day,  for example, “I’m putting on your shoes,” “Look at the truck,” or “It’s bath time,” can help them to gain familiar words.

Use Simple, Clear Words and Sentences

• When speaking to your toddler, try to use simple, clear words and sentences. Give a choice when asking a question. For example, “Do you want to eat an apple or a banana?” gives them the option to respond using one of the words you provided as opposed to the open answer alternative “What do you want to eat?”.

Point Out and Name Items

• When out and about or even in your home, point to items and name them. For example, “cat,” “dog,” “tree,” and “car.” This helps them connect objects to words. 

Get Down to Their Level

• Get down to your child’s level. This can help you make eye contact while also allowing them to focus on your facial expressions and lip movements.  

Have Patience

• Give your toddler time to process what was said and respond. Also, avoid over-correcting. If your toddler makes a mistake in speech, correct the mistake naturally when possible. For example, if they say, “I want cookie,” you can say, “You want the cookie? Here’s the cookie.”

Read to your Child Regularly

• Reading to your child is a great bonding activity and also an excellent way to expose them to new words. Pointing to the pictures while saying the words is especially helpful. 

Sing Songs and Repeat Nursery Rhymes

• Singing songs with your toddler is a great way to encourage speech. Nursery rhymes with repetitive words can also be incredibly helpful for building language skills. 

Positive Reinforcement

• Celebrate your child’s speech improvements. Even the smallest of improvements deserve praise. 

Socialization 

• Socialization plays an important role in speech for toddlers as it provides real-life opportunities to practice their language skills while also learning from others.

 Play

• Children learn so much from play. Whether it’s imaginative play such as house or school to playing with cars and animals, you can encourage them to talk while also having fun. 

Play ideas for encouraging a toddler to talk.

• Toddlers tend to love toys that make sounds and play music. Mimic what the toys say/do and encourage the child to do the same. 
• Toy phones can help engage in pretend conversations.
• While playing with them and their toys, label/say the names of the objects as you play. “truck,” “car.” 
• Make a game out of pointing to specific objects. For example, “Where is the baby’s mouth?”, “Where is the baby's nose?”.
• Singing songs with repeated phrases, such as “Wheels on the Bus” while encouraging them to do the actions and sing the words with you. 
• Read together. Ask questions along the way (“Where is the car?”).
• Pretend that their toys can talk. Examples of this are having dolls or stuffed animals engaging in conversation and encouraging the child to join. 
• Toy animals are great for practicing animal sounds.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines the numerous speech and communication milestones from birth to 5 years old. If you notice that your child is not meeting all of the age-appropriate milestones, reach out to your pediatrician for guidance. If your child has delayed speech, they can benefit from speech therapy. At Great Speech, we offer convenient online speech therapy for children and toddlers.

Speech therapy for toddlers takes a play-based approach. It is a positive experience for the child incorporating a variety of age-appropriate games, toys, and learning tools. If you think that your child can benefit from speech therapy, simply schedule your free introductory call today!