SLT help please

I know we have a few SLT's on here so hopefully one (or more)of you can help me or reassure me.
Ds is 16 months old and only babbles, no proper words or even attempts to make proper words. He does say mummummum sometimes but it doesn't seem to mean anything. When he wants something he just makes this noise (hard to explain) and points or reaches for it, but can say what it is. He does understand things like if I say teeth he knows its time to clean his teeth, and he knows what milk means and some other things. he doesn't tend to follow instructions but it's hard to know if that's him or if he doesn't understand. If its a two part instruction, eg get the ball and bring it here, then he doesn't seem to understand but something like come here he does understand (but won't always follow it).
Do I need to see someone about his speech or is he still within the realms of normal? When should I worry?
TIA

I was just browsing through a child developement article yesterday and saw that up to 18 months a few well formed words are expected so he isnt miles behind or anything

My DS is also 16mths and is the same. He say mum/mumma alllll the time but not really in context (ie. talking to me) as he says it for everything. He also grunts and makes special noises when he wants things and it's only been in the last few weeks that he will point to his drink if he wants it or try and get in the pantry for food or point to the fruit bowl for a banana etc. He is under a paed anyway for a medical problem he has and his development is also being watched as he was prem. I mentioned that lack of talking last month when we saw him and he has referred us to a SLT at Waikato who we are seeing next week. TBH I am not at all concerned and I think he will get there in his own time. He has been a little slow with some milestones, he only just started walking properly about a month ago. I am guilty of not reading to him much. Firstly because I don't have that much time with a baby and 5yo aswell, and secondly he is a busy boy who won't sit still and listen lol - he just takes the book off me or tries to shut it! Anyway, if i remember, I'll come back next week and let you know what the SLT says

At 16 months they will say that it is well within normal range and wait and see how he is around age 2.

I went through the research with DS1, and found that boys tend to be slower than girls, and that the normal range is absolutely huge at this age. My niece was talking in paragraphs by 18 months, so I was over-sensitised by seeing a child at the other end of the normal range to my boy, especially given he was prem too.

Is your boy hearing well do you think? Do you have any concerns with his hearing? Is he watching you talk and participating with speech sounds in conversation? Is he singing and dancing to music?

Also, maybe he is learning and doing other stuff at the moment. My DS2 sounds very similar, but he can run, climb and is busy learning other stuff at the moment (all motor skills), so I am not in the least bit concerned about his speech.


Edited by maya22