Your Child Has Not Yet Begun Talking

There are some babies that reach 13 months but still has not begun to talk yet. Because of this some are worried, some might think there might be a problem with their child's language development. Experts says that a common red flag is the absence of your child's first word at about 12 to 18 months. At this age, your child must already have at least 25 words in his vocabulary. Take note that a word is something he says specifically for an object or a person. It's not just a random set of sounds he makes, as in babbling. You might think your child's first word is "mama" but if he call everyone and everything else "mama", then it's not considered a word.

There are also some babies who don't pass through the babbling stage - this is also a cause for concern. They could be deaf or have some other problem.

You should expect your child to start talking between one to two years old. Some parents tend to wait for a child to talk until he is three and already going to school, but if there's a problem, it's not good to waste time.

Warning Signs For Your Baby

I read once in an article about alarming behaviors that your baby might display. It is advise that you contact your physician if your baby is displaying the following alarming behaviors.

BY 3 MONTHS:

• Does not seem to respond to loud noises
• Does not smile at people
• Begins babbling, but does not try to imitate any of your sounds
• Crosses eyes most of the time
• Does not pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces or surroundings
  
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had.

BY 7 MONTHS:

• Refuses to cuddle
• Shows no affection for his caregiver
• Doesn't seem to enjoy being around people
• Does not turn head to locate sounds
• Seems impossible to comfort at night
• Does not smile on his own
• Does not laugh or make squealing sounds
• Does not actively reach for objects
• Does not follow object with both eyes at near and far ranges
• Does not try to attract attention through actions
• Shows no interest in games of peek a boo
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had

BY 12 MONTHS:

• Does not play with toys or caregivers
• Does not vocalize to meet needs
• Does not search for objects that are hidden while he watches
• Say no single words ("mama" or "dada")
• Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
• Does not point to objects or pictures
• Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he once had.