Entering a New World of Language

You’ve carried him for nine-plus months, nursed him, changed him, fed him, and loved him. The first year of parenthood is time intensive and exhausting. So it would be nice if, after 18 months or so, he could at least tell you what he thinks: “I love that turkey applesauce stuff.” . . . “Daddy has a terrible singing voice.” . . . “Please keep the dog out of my face.” . . . something . . . anything.

Parents are always eager for their children to speak, particularly when the neighbor girl is already singing the alphabet at 18 months. However, much of the stress and worry surrounding delayed speech is baseless. Too often, parents are only counting the number of words a child knows and are not looking at how the child is really communicating.

To read more, pick up a copy of the September 2016 issue at any of these locations, or view the digital archive copy here.