# How many words for your 12-13 month old?



## StephandOwen (Jun 22, 2004)

I know I shouldn't compare kids but I'm curious how vocal your 12-13 month old is? Or how vocal were they at this age? My DS says two words- mama and that- but not often at all. I've been really paying attention to this the past week and he's said mama once (total) and that a couple times a day (some days more than others, and usually he'll repeat it over and over until he gets what he wants). He doesn't babble, though he does scream when he doesn't get something he wants. Should I be worried about this? I asked his dr a couple weeks ago but he told me it's fine at this age and we'd see where he was at 15 months. But he also told me about a free program in our city that he could go to and work on his speech. The problem is it's during the day when I'm watching a 2 year old too so I can't take him. If I HAD to take him I could, but I don't want to if it's not necessary, KWIM? Someone tell me he just doesn't have much to say, right?


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## Sylith (Apr 15, 2002)

My son didn't say any words at all until he was about 15 months. Well, okay, he said Meow to the cat once at around a year old (and never again.)







At 15 months or so he started saying Ball and Daddy and maybe one or two other things. He didn't *really* start to talk until around 18 months.

He is now two, and very verbal. He talks constantly, in sentences, and has a huge vocabulary.

I think 12 months is way too early to worry about it, especially if your son seems to understand a lot of what you say to him.


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## Ravin (Mar 19, 2002)

My DD says mama when she's mad at me. She does several nonverbal signals w/ pretty clear meanings: "come here", "Bye bye", "I want to nurse" (This one consists of tugging on my shirt and/or rubbing her face on my shoulder).

I wouldn't worry too much, either.


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## matts_mamamama (Mar 19, 2004)

My son is 14 months and says DADADADADADADADADA and sometimes mama, dada and doh (which I think is dog). Not worried. I figure when he's ready, he'll probably just start with full sentences!







Oh, and he does say wassuh (which we think is What's that?)


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## wednesday (Apr 26, 2004)

My son is 12.5 months and says mama. Nothing else yet. He doesn't seem to recognize any words either, which actually has our doc a bit concerned. Does your son look in the direction of a toy if you ask him where it is? Or in other ways seem to understand some things you say, like coming over to you if you ask him to "come here"? Does he seem to recognize his name? I think language recognition is more what developmental experts really look for around 12 months, rather than the child being able to say a whole lot of words.


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## MidnightCafe (Oct 27, 2003)

My DD said almost nothing at a year. I was worried, too, but by 18 months she was using 2-3 word sentences. Now at 2.5, she uses complex sentences and talks without ceasing!


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## pinky (Nov 21, 2001)

Oh my goodness, at that age my dd wasn't talking at all. She had some signs, but words just started coming at about 14-15 months. And overall she has been way ahead of the curve in terms of talking. Try to be patient and not to worry!


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## ericaz (Jun 10, 2003)

My dd will be 13 months on the 30th and says *baby* and does the sign for flag. She's a bit obsessed with flags


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## Red (Feb 6, 2002)

To the OP, I wouldn't worry too much for another couple of months, either.

To everyone else: I don't come here often, my kids are a bit old and when I do I always say the same thing...call your local public school for any developmental concerns. I think pedi's are pretty useless at this. Your school will hook you up with Early Intervention. (If you come here often and are thinking Hmm, I just read this somewhere, it's cause I find myself being repetative, but this program is worth it!). In Massachusetts, it's called, say it with me now, R.E.A.C.H.

While it's funded by the gov't, it's one group that rocks! They come to your house for free, cause kids ar 3 learn better at home, and often have centers for kids to go to for even more help. (At three yo your public school is leagally responsible to help your child, evaluate them, offer services and you can homeschool and still get help! I did)

The woman who came to our house was an angel! She'd sit and have a tea party with us, all 3 girls, though she was only suppposed to come for one then. She brought puzzles and toys and was bright and sunny and cheerful! _I loved it!_ When my daughter turned 3, and graduated, she hand made her a beautiful raggedy Ann doll, fully clothed.

Then the others were diagnosed and we got her back! Woohoo.

Now my cousin never spoke til she was 3 and then talked in full sentences. (If I had a nickel for everytime my mother told me that!) However, my daughter didn't say anything correctly. At two 1/2 she said Mumby (mummy), Da, Mim (Mindy), Gee or bless the poor kid, Gee-boy(Sean) (that stuck for years, and he never complained, and all 3 younger ones used it. ). All animals, the oxen up town, the dog and cats, salamanders and butterflys, etc, were ducks. No matter how hard we tried, they stayed ducks, til she was about 6. Anything she named, even if two salamanders at time, our cat, her dolls, were Joe. Or, Joe and Joe. Except she said Doe, and we knew what she meant.

It's important to note if a child learns to make new sounds. Usually they start with Da and work from there. Not always. They should occasioanlly add a sound, Ma, wassat, NO, out, expanding their range of sounds not just words.

By 18 months, I'd get a kid evaluated if it wasn't happening. Hearing can be done before that, anytime, if you are concerend about that. (do they turn to a sound, respond to their name?)

Just so everyone knows, kids do not all just learn in their own good time. My daughters do have a disability that will always be with them, though we don't know why. My now 16dd couldn't be understood by teachers or other kids til 3rd grade! Not even to use the bathroom. And she loved school, begged to go!









The 14 yo's still speak 'funny' as they say. The youngest told me yesterday, "Sometimes I say I have a Boston accent, and they don't know. Other times I say I have a speech impediment. Well, I _try_ to say it, but I can't get it out, and then they know."







And she couldn't care less. Love her or leave her.

So, as I wander off and leave you people in peace, remember, local schools, early intervention, little known gem that your taxes already pay for.


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## sagira (Mar 8, 2003)

My ds (13 months) says mamamama when he's hungry and is very obvious nonverbally. He says "ba" for ball (his favorite thing in the whole world) and babbles a lot. I'm not worried.

I agree that understanding is much more important at this stage. Ds understands a lot. I tell him: pick up the ball, put it in there, put it back, give it to him/her.. and he does all those things.

I think the fact that he's processing two languages at once also means he'll take longer to speak his first words. I speak to him only in my native language, Papiamento, and dh speaks to him only in English. He understands both.

Cheers,


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## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Hi. My DS is just about 15 months old. He had a language burst starting right around 13 months, and I think a big thing that helped him was that we started using sign language with him, just for fun. He's really picking up on signs, and I'm convinced that the signs have helped him associate things with words. I bought the book by Joseph Garcia and glanced through it but mostly just started using a few signs. After a week, he started using the signs, and we've added more consistently. It was overwhelming at first, because you have to be pretty persistent in using them, and you don't get an immediate response, but overall, it's been very easy, fun, and helpful. I would recommend it if you're concerned, but really I wouldn't be very concerned. Kids develop at all different rates.


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## pageta (Nov 17, 2003)

DS babbles a lot and sounds like he is saying sentences and paragraphs. He also says many sounds including mamamamama and dadadadada but never in connection with either of us. Nor has he said any intelligible words. My mom says he is far more verbal than my sister or I ever were at that age, and she's said that since he was a small baby. We have learned to recognize ds's mood by the sounds he's making, and we also respond to his needs right away, so perhaps he's communicating all he needs to at this point, even though he isn't trying to use any of our words for things. DS is also an observer rather than someone who plunges right in. So his lack of "speech" kind of goes with the territory. My sister talked to a friend of hers who is a ped and mentioned him not talking yet and not being interested in food (he's still breastfed exclusively, and he doens't put anything in his mouth but his fingers, unlike most children who explore with their mouths and "taste" everything). Her friend was very concerned, but again, I think his personality and the fact that his needs are being met have a lot to do with his lack of vocabulary. I'm not worried about it.


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## Hey Mama! (Dec 27, 2003)

My almost 13 month old says mama, daddy, juice, shoes, that, mine, food. She picked most of these up in the last two weeks, it seems like a new word every day. Compared to her sister, she is behind (sister was an very early talker), but it sounds like she is normal.


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## avakitty (Jan 11, 2003)

ok i was just going to post about this... what about a 17 month old that still only says Dadedadedade for Everything!? It's driving us crazy! He can say mama but only very rarely does he, i meet his every need so he only uses it when is is really tired/hungry. But it's driving us nuts the dade thing, and of course everyone thinks he is looking for daddy etc. people sort of makes fun of him, not to be mean of course but they laugh (strangers and relatives) and say 'where, where is daddy' and laugh.. or 'no that is a.....'
It makes me angry actually.







: I have to say to everyone everyday "that is his only word".. I have people telling me about their kids/grandkids.. oh they say this and that etc...
any way should I be worried?????


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## Dechen (Apr 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ericaz*
My dd will be 13 months on the 30th and says *baby* and does the sign for flag. She's a bit obsessed with flags









What is the sign for flag? We're doing sign language and my dd is also obsessed with flags, but I don't know the sign. Oooo, she'd love to be able to say flag.

Steph - Aine says mo (more), bir (bird), ball, and buh bye. She also says "bu" which is her word for nursies. It is a particular sound she only uses when she wants to nurse. She can say mama, but doesn't do it very frequently. Oh she has "boo" for book. Can you tell she has a thing for the letter B?

She also has a fair number of signs.

On the other hand, I don't think this kid will walk until she's two. :LOL

- Andrie


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## Ravin (Mar 19, 2002)

Someone else said something about sounds, and I agree. It's been fun watching DD experiment w/ different phonemes. Most recently she's been developing the ability to modify sound w/ her tongue. This results in something that sounds like the last syllable in "tickle" so I'll say "tickle tickle tickle" and tickle her and she'll make the sound. We have also made games of tongue-clicking (though not a useful phoneme in English) and modifying sounds w/ the hand (going "aaaahh" and patting one's mouth to make "ahhh-ahhh-ahhh").

She also does "high five" and "gimme five" hand gestures. I talk and read to her constantly and she shows plenty of signs of word recognition. Like if you tell her "no" she turns and gives you this grin that says "Yeah, yeah, aren't I cute getting into this thing you don't want me to have? It's fun and interesting!"


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## Gracie (Dec 19, 2001)

My first child said 10-12 words at 12 months of age.

My second child is 21 months now. He only said 1 word at 12 months of age, and now only says about 7. I can see a big difference between the 2 children.


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

dd had about 5 words at 13 months old. now she's almost 19 months & has about 15 words (need to get a recent count) and tons of signs







for the child of a speech pathologist (







) i'd expect a little more talking, but she's been very focused on motor development & i know she's just fine!


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## melaniewb (Mar 14, 2003)

My son only said 2-3 words at that age, but now at 23 months, he never shuts up. :LOL His language just exploded at about 18 months.


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## LambQueen (Mar 20, 2003)

I agree, I don't want to compare, and everyone develops at their own rate.

But since you asked,

DD, 13 mo , says mommy, daddy, gock (for block), yuk, puppy, baby, wwwa (for water), bob (for the stroller, named bob), bubby, o's

she signs a lot more: for water, more, apple, cat, dog, nursing, no more, o's, zips her mouth for closed mouth, eensie weensie spider, head


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## liam's mom (Jun 18, 2003)

At 12/13 months, ds only had a few words...I think daddy, dog and ball was about it. He has slowly been adding to his vocabulary since then, and now at 17+ months has a total word count of around 20 or so.

I would not worry one bit!


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## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

My 14.5 month old says "mom" and "Daddy" and meows at the cat.
She has around 10 or so signs, but only uses 3-5 regularly (cracker, apple, sleep/tired, hungry, nurse).

I've just started to get some serious flak because I know people who have kids 18 months who speak in sentances (seriously).


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## ComaWhite (Mar 13, 2003)

They all develop at their own rate and every kid is different and learn at their own rate.


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