Concerned About My Toddler's Vocabulary

Question

My 16-1/2 month old daughter has a vocabulary of one word. She uses this one word for everything and repeats it throughout the day. She seems to hear normally and point at objects she wants or looks toward objects she hears. At one point she was able to s

Answer

The answer to your question "Should I be concerned?" is an unqualified "Maybe".

Listed below are some of the receptive language skills expected of a child between the ages of 15-18 months (information adapted from the Rossetti Infant Toddler Language Scale, 1990, LinguiSystems, Inc., 1-800-776-4332):

• Find familiar objects that are not visible when asked (Where is your shoe?)
  
• Choose two known objects from a group when asked
  
• Understand at least 50 words spoken by an adult
  
• Point to at least 6 body parts or clothing items
  
• Follow a 2-part direction with one object (Go get your cup and put it in the sink)

Expressive language skills expected of a 15-18 month old can include:

• Saying 10-15 meaningful words
  
• Use words rather than pointing or pulling
  
• Asking "More" and "What's that?"
  
• Labeling multiple objects when asked
  
• Imitating adult speech

Parents know their children better than anyone else. If a parent is concerned about a child's speech and language development, it is advisable to seek out a complete evaluation from an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist with a specialty in infants and toddlers. After an evaluation, the speech-language pathologist can discuss with you whether or not there are reasons for concern and if so, recommend a course of action.

Cheryl Stewart has been a speech-language pathologist for 15 years. She is the Clinic Coordinator for the Speech & Hearing Clinic at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She worked for four years as part of a transdisciplinary team in a NICU and NICU-to-home program in New York City.