An ordinary one-year-old mighty have zero to two words, a fifteen-month-old about 2 to 5 words, and an 18 month old about 18 words (that last one is easy to remember!)

So, when should parents worry? There are three factors that are the most important to look at: risk factors, progress, and the overall developmental picture of the child.

Most critical, and far more important than the total word count, is the overall development of the child. A baby who’s lagging a bit on spoken word skills, but is otherwise developmentally normal, has an excellent prognosis and will catch up. However, a baby who is otherwise not developing typically—say, with lagging motor skills, or lacking appropriate social-interacting skills—is of far more concern, and ought to be referred to evaluation and therapy quickly.

Parents should also be mindful of potential risk factors. Children with hearing or other sensory deficits are certainly at risk for more longstanding speech issues, as are children with cleft lip or other facial anomalies or neurologic problems. Premature babies or babies with chronic health issues are also more likely to need therapy to help catch up.

Finally, parents should look at the progress that their children are making on their own. If your daughter is behind in speech skills, ask yourself, “How much improvement has she made in the last month?” A child who’s making progress and gaining skills on her own is likely to continue to gain skills, and catch up.

Concern should be very much increased, though, if a child is lagging and seems to have hit a plateau. If you’re not sure that your toddler is gaining skills, that makes formal evaluation and therapy more essential.

This answer should not be considered medical advice...This answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.