A 2-year-old who can’t speak is a concern? What should mom do?

Based on the normal rate of language development of young children, by the age of 2, children will be able to speak and use about 50 basic words or more. However, in reality, there are still many cases where 2-year-old children cannot speak and cannot communicate, making many parents feel extremely worried and worried.

Some studies share that the percentage of 2-year-olds who can’t speak is showing signs of increasing significantly.

2 year old baby’s language development milestone

Language is one of the important and necessary means for the development of every child. Any parent wants to hear the first voices of their child’s life, hoping that their child can develop comprehensively in all aspects.

Each child will have a different rate of development, but according to research, experts have also come up with the most common milestone of language development for young children at different stages and ages. Specifically, common milestones for 2-year-olds will include:

• Know how to use simple, understandable words.
• Be able to ask questions or put two words together.
• Can speak about 50 words or more.
• Understand and be able to follow requests and orders.
• The caregiver should be able to understand half of what the child is trying to convey.

For children over 2 years old, they will achieve the following:

• Children can understand and use a minimum of 200 words and a maximum of 1000 words.
• Children can say simple words and phrases and can put them together into meaningful sentences of 2 to 3 words.
• Children can say their names and some other objects.
• Know how to use pronouns like son, father, mother, brother, sister, etc.
• Parents or caregivers can understand most of what the child wants to convey.

By understanding and understanding the general developmental milestones of 2-year-olds, parents can also easily detect and identify abnormalities in their children’s language abilities. As soon as they notice abnormal signs or limitations in the child’s language and speech development, parents should quickly take their children to the doctor for examination and early intervention.

Is it abnormal for a 2-year-old child who cannot speak yet?

Based on the above 2-year-old language development milestone, most children at this stage can speak and use words to a certain extent. However, in reality, there are still many cases of children who are 2 years old but still cannot speak or even make any sounds.

This situation makes many parents feel confused, afraid and worried about whether their children are facing any serious problems. On the other hand, there are also many parents who are subjective, thinking that the child is only slower to speak than usual and that the child still has the ability to develop language after growing up.

According to experts, children are exposed to language from the moment they are born. At the same time, through listening, imitation and many other forms, young children can develop the ability to communicate, use words more flexibly.

The first years of life are an important period for the comprehensive development of children, especially in terms of language. From about 3 to 6 months old, babies have started to make simple sounds such as snarl, um, eh, … After the process of exposure, observation and learning, young children will gradually develop language language and have richer, more diverse expressions.

A 2-year-old that hasn’t spoken could be a warning sign of a serious health problem.

When babies are over 1 year old, children can start babbling, imitating sounds and words heard from around. Children nearly 2 years old have their own vocabulary and can speak some basic words, the ability to interact and connect with people around is also more flexible.

However, not all children are able to meet the same standards of language development. Therefore, the fact that a 2-year-old child does not know how to speak is not necessarily a dangerous condition, sometimes it is just a simple delay in speech of young children and children still have the ability to improve and develop normal language after adulthood. up.

However, a 2-year-old baby who cannot speak can also be a warning sign of certain health problems that need attention and timely intervention. Based on statistics, more than 10% of 2-year-olds do not yet speak any words, the majority of which are boys.

This is really a worrying issue that affects the daily life of every child and makes many parents feel scared and confused. However, it is necessary to stay calm and learn carefully about the reasons why a 2-year-old child still cannot speak to be able to support good intervention for the child.

Children 2 years old can’t speak – When to see a doctor?

For those who do not have sufficient expertise and understanding of speech delay in young children, it is difficult to identify abnormalities in a 2-year-old child who is not yet able to speak. There are children with simple speech delay, but there are also children with pathological delay.

Children 2 years old who do not speak and have other abnormal signs should be examined promptly.

Therefore, if parents feel too concerned, they can pay attention to the following symptoms:

• Children have the ability to imitate and follow the actions and gestures of others but do not create words or phrases.
• Children tend to repeat familiar sounds over and over again.
• Children find it difficult to follow simple instructions and requests.
• The child’s voice is somewhat abnormal.
• Children’s vocabulary is limited, they can only speak simple words and do not know how to combine words into phrases and short sentences.
• 2-year-old children have limited and no need to interact with people around, including parents.
• Children do not respond, do not turn their heads when called by name.
• Children have difficulty expressing verbally, even when there is an urgent need.
• Children do not know how to point to parts of the body.
• Children are easily agitated, irritable, have aggressive, angry behaviors.

As soon as they notice the above symptoms of a 2-year-old child who can’t speak yet, parents should quickly take their child to a reputable pediatric hospital for examination and diagnosis. Absolutely not because of your own unfounded suspicions that apply inappropriate interventions for children.

Reasons why 2-year-olds can’t speak

Currently, the situation of 2-year-old children who cannot speak is showing strong signs of increasing, causing many obstacles to the natural development process of each child. According to the results of many studies and real cases, children with delayed speech and language development difficulties can stem from many different causes.

Specifically, some of the most commonly mentioned reasons are:

• Hearing problems are one of the most common causes that can cause many children 2 years of age or even older to still be unable to speak or use verbal language. If your child has an ear infection or a problem that interferes with the ear, it will be difficult for the child to pick up language.
• In addition, some limitations on organs related to speech such as tongue, mouth, jaw, and larynx can also cause children to be slow to speak, unable to speak. For example, children with tongue brakes and cleft palate will have difficulty pronouncing words.
• Psychological influences also play a part in making many 2-year-olds unable to speak and communicate flexibly. If during this period the child has to face events such as a serious accident, the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or an injury, the child’s spirit will be depressed, the crisis will make the child no longer want to communicate. , talk.

Letting children see their phones often increases the risk of language delays in children.

• With the outstanding development of today’s society, young children are exposed to smart devices from a very early age and this can cause many dangerous consequences for children, including language delay. language. If children have been using phones, TVs, iPads, laptops from a young age, they will no longer need to interact with the outside world, they will be lazy to talk and exercise.
• The excessive indulgence of parents is also a common cause of many children’s delay in speech and unwillingness to speak. Many families, because they pamper their children, are ready to meet all the wishes and aspirations of the child when the baby has just cried or cried for a few hours. This implicitly makes children understand that they do not need to use words to ask for anything, gradually making children no longer interested in speaking and expressing their wishes in words.
• A 2-year-old child with a speech delay is more likely to stem from a lack of interest and interaction among family members. Experts say that young children learn and develop language best through observing and interacting with people around them. Therefore, if children are deprived of love from a young age, do not talk and share much, their language ability will be weak.
• Children do not have many opportunities to be exposed to the outside environment, limited living space will make it difficult for children to develop their ability to communicate verbally. Many parents because of their love for their children, fear of their children getting sick or being exposed to negative things outside, so they don’t let their children go out and control most of their children’s activities, making it difficult for their children to develop freely.
• The brain plays an important role in children’s language development, it helps control and regulate the ability to speak and communicate. As a result, brain damage can interfere with and cause language impairments in many young children.
• A 2-year-old who is not yet able to speak is more likely to be a warning sign of autism. According to the actual survey, there are more than 40% of cases of autistic children with delayed speech, language delay or even aphasia. In addition, young children are limited in their ability to interact socially, have abnormal behaviors along with cognitive and intellectual decline. This condition will often last forever, interventions are only supportive, improving the skills needed for children to settle well in life.

Depending on the different causes, the specialist will consider choosing the right interventions for the child. The best advice for parents is to have their children examined as soon as possible to help them improve and limit negative effects on life.

What should parents do when their 2-year-old still cannot speak?

Children 2 years old are slow to speak, do not know how to speak, possibly due to the influence of the living environment and inappropriate education of their parents. However, there are also many cases stemming from dangerous diseases that need prompt attention and support to avoid other serious consequences.

As soon as they notice signs of speech delay or abnormality in language in young children, parents should take the initiative to bring their children to visit quality specialist facilities. Here, the doctor will conduct an assessment and find out the cause of the child’s failure to achieve the normal milestone of language development, thereby offering an appropriate solution.

Parents need to accompany and apply good interventions so that 2-year-old children quickly improve language.

Families need to work closely with experts to be able to apply appropriate interventions for children, help children quickly improve language and verbal communication more flexibly. The intervention process for young children can take a long time, so it needs the perseverance, patience and companionship of relatives, especially parents.

Along with specialized measures to support language improvement for 2-year-old children, parents also need to pay attention to some of the following:

• Spend a lot of time interacting and talking with your child.
• Stimulate children’s need to communicate and talk by letting them speak their own desires.
• Give children opportunities to explore the outside environment, participate in group activities, and connect with many friends.
• Children 2 years old can expand their vocabulary effectively through storytelling activities, listening to music.
• Young children will easily absorb language and speak more when playing with parents and relatives.
• Children should be taught to carry out daily activities by themselves within their ability, specifically for 2-year-olds, you can ask them to clean up their toys after playing, pick up items, eat by themselves, etc.
• For children who are slow to speak due to the influence of the pronunciation parts, it is possible to guide them to perform exercises and adjustments at home.
• Pay more attention to the child’s diet, focus on adding nutritious foods and limit processed foods.
• Control and manage children’s time using phones and iPads well.
• Do not laugh at, denigrate the child’s pronunciation, do not imitate the child’s words.
• When your child says a new word or phrase, give them praise and applause to give them more motivation to try.
• Parents can also learn and let their children study at specialized education centers for children with speech delay and autistic children.

The above sharing has partly helped parents understand more about speech delay in 2-year-old children. It is best to take it to a specialist facility to be examined specifically and detect abnormal signs, thereby taking effective and timely interventions for young children.