Lloyd 11/12/2009
Question:
I am worried about my 2-year-old daughter. She hasn't started talking yet, and I’m not sure she’s picking up on what different words mean.
My wife thinks I'm just overreacting, but I feel like she should be talking by now. Could she have some kind of a psychological problem? Should I go to a specialist, or just wait it out?
Answer:
At 2, children typically understand a great deal, know about 200 words, and can put them together into two-word phrases (such as "More juice" or "I go").
Language delays can present for a variety of reasons, and often respond to specific intervention. I suggest contacting your child's primary care provider to discuss this.
A hearing test and an evaluation by your state's 0-3 Early Intervention services should be considered as soon as possible.