If all of your friends toddlers are babbling away and your toddler is not talking yet you may have reason to become concerned. One of the things parents often use to gauge their child’s development is how early they start talking. Babies start off experimenting with noises from an early age, usually consisting of babbling noises, the typical “goo goo” and “gaa gaa” sounds, these will turn into “ma ma” and “da da”. These babbling sounds eventually progress into Mommy and Daddy. So how do you determine whether your child has delayed speech development and what do you do if your toddler is not talking yet?

On a daily basis your child will find different ways to shape their mouth and change the noise they are making; the first step in their speech development. Parents naturally spend a great deal of time talking to their baby’s but they do this instinctually and mostly to enjoy the social interaction it offers. Many don’t realize that this is also essential for the development of their speech and language skills.  

Babies recognize the sound of their parent’s voices from even before birth; they become familiar with us when they are in the womb. Parent’s voices are comforting for them, especially for newborns before their vision is fully developed. Babies and toddlers mimic their parents; that’s how they learn. The more verbal communication you engage in with your child, the faster they will learn.

By the time your child is the age of twelve to eighteen months your baby should be saying words like Mommy and Daddy. Over the next year of your child’s speech development, they will learn to put together small sentences and communicate their needs to their family members. By the age of 21 months most children can be understood by their family. If your child cannot communicate with family members and be understood by the age of 30 months there would be cause for concern. At any stage, if your child is not meeting the age appropriate developmental timelines you should seek professional opinion. Trust your instincts, more often than not parents know best.

If your toddler isn’t talking yet there are things you can do to encourage speech development. Keyword signing, otherwise known as  Baby Sign Language has been shown by researchers to increase language acquisition by up to 3 months. Children using sign language have the language re-enforced to them by the parent as the gestures are used in conjunction with the word. Parent’s who use sign language with their children are often more aware of their communication with their baby’s and flood them with language on a daily basis.

Gesture based baby sign language also improves word comprehension as the gesture is a natural movement that mimics the meaning of the word. Reading to your child is another important strategy that will go a long way to improving your child’s language skills. When they are exposed to reading at an early age they pick up on the way language ebbs and flows and are more likely to have an interest in books later on.

So if you are concerned that your toddler is not talking yet, assess the developmental timeline as make sure they are reaching the recommended milestones. Not all babies develop at the same rate and the normal range can differ by months. If you are looking for ways to encourage speech development because your toddler is not talking yet, keyword signing and reading are both great places to start.

Teaching a simple keyword based communication tool such as Baby Sign Language can help to accelerate your child’s speech comprehension and development. More importantly it can also provide an invaluable head start if you find out later that they suffer from a speech delay. For more information visit Toddler Interpreter.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.

Baby Sign Language is a gesture-based form of communication used with hearing pre-verbal babies and toddlers. It is an exciting way for parents to communicate with their children before they can talk. Parents communicate with their children through body language and their knowledge of their child?s behavior; Baby Sign Language is an extension of this natural behavior and bridges the gap between guessing what your baby may need and knowing what your baby needs.

As parents, we all wait with excitement for our baby?s first smile, first word or first step. Baby?s communicate with their parents through the only means of communication they know, which a lot of the time involves crying. If a baby is hungry it will cry, wet diaper, cry, and tired, yes once again cry. Knowing what your baby requires is very important, and all parents strive to be the best parent they know how to be. Baby Sign Language allows parents to take the guesswork out of communicating with your baby. By the age of 6 moths, babies are reaching for objects, giggling, recognizing their parents in a room full of people and able to start using Baby Sign Language. It?s very exciting knowing that your little baby, who relies on you for everything, can let you know exactly what they need through the use of simple, body language based communication such as Baby Sign Language.

A question often asked by people is whether or not Baby Sign Language will delay speech in a baby, and the answer is a definite no. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Studies have shown that children who have used Baby Sign Language have developed speech at a younger age and have an increased IQ level. By encouraging your baby to use Baby Sign Language, you are teaching not only a word, but also using your hands to explain the word. By doing this you are ensuring that your baby is using both sides of the brain in a very important stage of human development. The studies have also shown that by the age of 3 that children can be at least 12 months ahead of children who have not used Baby Sign Language. Have you ever seen a pre-verbal toddler throw itself on the floor of the supermarket, screaming and crying? Your first thought maybe ?I wonder why that child is doing that?” If that child was able to communicate exactly what it needed to it parents, do you think it would be throwing itself on the floor having a tantrum?

By the age of 6 months, babies will start to communicate back to their parents using Baby Sign Language. Your baby?s first word does not have to be verbal; it can be a Baby Sign. Signing with your baby every time you are communicating encourages your baby to mimic your movements and tie the word into the gesture. As a parent you are the most important learning tool a baby can ever have. Baby Sign Language will ensure that the frustrations of both parent and baby are minimal through a basic understanding of needs.

Baby Sign Language is now used in households and child care centers worldwide. As parents, if we can reduce the frustrations of our baby?s, and ease the pressure on ourselves, it?s a win for everyone involved. Children develop and learn so quickly, what an amazing opportunity Baby Sign Language gives parents and baby?s to bridge the gap of communication.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.