Q&A: My 19 month old has very little speech

by Grainne Ryan ©Independent.ie
I have two girls. The eldest, who is four, had no difficulty speaking but I am concerned about my 19-month-old, who has very little speech. I know she understands everything because when I ask her to get her doll or other little tasks, she carries instructions out well. I have no concerns about her hearing or her development, however in comparison to my older child at this age, I think she is lagging behind.
At 19 months it is significant that your child understands and carries out commands, that her development in all other areas is satisfactory and her hearing is OK, however I'm not sure if your daughter has no words at this time.It is important to bear in mind that older children often vocalise on behalf of their younger siblings and anticipate their needs so younger children do not have to make a lot of effort.
One of the most impressive moments as a parent has to be when your child says their first word. While competing with our partners to make it 'mama' or 'dada', there are lots of things we can do to help our child's speech and language development.
The exciting journey from babbling to banter is closely linked to emotion and the development of relationships, which means that your input, interaction and responsiveness to your child's efforts to talk are hugely important in helping her to become an articulate little speaker.
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