Learned how to speak....as in form a two word phrase?
My nephew is two and a half years old, and won't tell you his name, how old he is, "i'm hungry/thirsty/anything". Nothing. He seems to know what you are asking him when you do, but won't respond with anything other than "baby babble". DH and I have been discussing this FOREVER about how we are the only ones (until recently) that ever try to "teach" him words for things, and not just respond to his point and grunt routine of getting things he wants. DH's brother, nephews dad, had the gall to tell us Saturday, when Dh was trying to get him to put together a two word phrase (can't remember what, but something not difficult at all!) that "he (nephew) doesn't just automatically know how to communicate aaron, he can't just immediately put words together like magic, he has to hear it over and over again" like DH was expecting too much. UHHHH, no. It's not too much to hope that a 2 and a half year old could say something like, "more, please". And hello???? Have we not been the ones who are constantly repeating things over and over again in hopes that he will mimick it and understand??? NOOOOWWWW you finally want to be an active participant in your child's language development and skills, and act like we haven't been trying to do just that for the last year. He irritates the crap out of me.
I don't have kids, but I hear some of you say that your kids are speaking and are younger than him, and I know I talked wayyyyy before him, and am just wondering if he is a "slow speaker". I know alot of it has to do with the fact that his parents/grandparents/everyone but us (aunt and uncle) don't try really hard to make him learn the word associated with what he wants, and cater to his points and grunts and stomps,whines, etc. I wish people wouldn't get irritated with us for doing this, trying to help him learn, and then turn it around like we are expecting too much. I don't see it as being too much for a child that is 2 and a half to know how to say his name, and know how to say things like milk, juice, etc....you know? Am I being over-critical, or do you think he should at least be saying SOMETHING other than "ahhhhh ahljsdfkjaunlgjakdjseijlsj!!!"

My first daughter said two words together at around 15 months. DD2 was more like 17 or 18 months. I don't remember exactly. My dd is now 2 and speaks in full sentences though. All kids are different though, so you never know.

This is a hard situation, because as much as you love him, he's not your child. So his parents my take all the help you are giving as saying they aren't good parents. Whether they are or not. That being said, my dd is 21 mos old, and she has been speaking for along time, she now puts little sentences together like "where Daddy go" "time go night night?" and her favorite "that's my____!" I would definately be concerned if my child wasn't saying at least two word phrases at 2 1/2.

__________________
"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

mommy&wife, I understand where it might come off as us making them out to be bad parents, but I have yet to say anything to them about it. I don't mention anything about him not speaking, I just do things like this: Saturday, BIL and nephew were at our house, and for some reason he has this fascination with toothbrushes, he loooves to brush his teeth! Great! He wanted this toothbrush in the bathroom on the sink and he points at it and goes "uuuhhh", like a grunt noise. I said "what?" He grunted and pointed again. "what? you want the toothbrush?" He nods yes. (hence, he knows what I am asking him) I said "say toothbrush" KNOWING that this isn't an easy word to say, but I was hoping for just an effort at actually giving it a name, it didn't have to be "toothbrush" perfectly, or even close to sounding right, but you know what his response was? A stomping whining grunting mini tantrum and him yelling NO at me. So you know what "I'm sorry, no toothbrush". I mean, maybe I'm harsh, but I'm not trying to get him to preform brain surgery..lol. I am more worried about him than anything, i really think some people are hindering him in this. It's just that some people give him what he grunts for without even trying to get him to form a word for that object, and I'm not going to do that. I want no part in continuing to hinder his progress. I'm not expecting miracles, but honestly, EVEN THOUGH I SAY NOTHING AT ALL about their parenting skills, nor do I make snide remarks like "geez, daddy should tell you to say 'toothbrush'" or anything rude like that, I'm genuinely concerned about him.
You are right though, he is not my child, I really have no place to say anything to his parents, so I don't. I just want to help him. Is there any other way you can think of for me to help him?? You know? Maybe they are taking it that way, but honestly, if I see someone doing this to my (currently unborn) children, i would like to think that maybe I would think "wow, I really need to work on this with him/her" if someone else is doing it. KWIM?? I'll take any advice I can get, I'm just hoping he'll be able to say "my name is ____" by the time he's in kindergarten......
Then again, he's done everything slowly, he didn't walk til he was over 15 months old, so maybe he's just a slow bloomer, i dont know.

ok my dd will be one in two weeks and she already says stuff like hi dadda bye mamma simple two word things. mind you it helps she has two older brothers that try to teach her to say words. also we have always been very concious about pointing things out and saying the words to all our kids but thats just how we are. now my niece is almost 2 1/2 and my sister and her dh tried and tried to get her to speak they would say the words ect and finally two months after her 2nd birthday she just started talking in sentances so i don't know every kid is different. though i think the grunting pointing and saying no is a good indicator he does not have to use words to get what he wants.

__________________
'The will of God will never take you where the
Grace of God will not protect you.'

HAVE A BOOTIFUL HALLOWEEN

Yes, you are right, all kids are different, and I'm hoping he will just be a late bloomer at this....you know? That's my point, he gets away with it, and when he's with me, he can cry all he wants, he's not getting away with that without the slightest bit of an effort....it can sound like "oobuh" or something, as long as it is a try. Sadly, this among alot of things that I wish were going differently with him....truth be known, I'm learning alot of things that I don't want for my kids through this....I just wish better for him.

my son said only single words (but they were motorcycle and helicopter) until he was nearly 2 1/2. He understood everything that you said, he just didn't feel the need to respond. He started speaking in paragraphs around 2 1/2; he is now 6 and speaks just fine. In fact, he reads at a 4th grade level.

My daughter, who just turned 3, started talking about about 14 months. She can speak in simple sentences, and is much more vocal than her brother was at this age.

It does depend on the kid, but it also depends on the environment. I do not think that you are being "over-critical". I think it's a good thing that you guys are at least trying to get him to speak in words and/or sentences; however, without his immediate family (mother/father/grandparents) also doing this, you are fighting an uphill battle.

I wish you luck.

__________________
check out my blog: http://anniebananie.wordpress.com

I think they need to ask his dr about this...it is not the norm. At that age my DD had a large vocabulary and spoke more clearly than most 3-4 year olds.

Jen

My son will be 2 on the 18th. He has already had one set of tubes in his ears in June due to chronic ear infections. Dr. actually said he had never seen scar tissue in such a small child in the ear. Thank you very much to my side of the family, he inherited this lovely gene! We thought he was a little behind in speaking and were seriously concerned. The ENT (ear doctor) and our pediatrition said he as fine and just to give him a couple weeks after surgery. Well let me tell you....we went from 21 months talking 3/4 word sentences to now we're talking 4 to 8 words at a time and sometimes more. Our Dr. said he's fine and on target for a 2 year old. I know all children develope differently, but I think you are right in that there is something that might need to be looked into for him. Good Luck and thankfully someone is looking out for him!

My daughter is 25 months and just now starting to say a few things. Mama, juice and mama poopoo, it is a process, but at least she is saying something now. Dr was a little concerned at her 2 year appointment, but we are going to watch her progress until 2 1/2.

Does your newphew have older siblings or adults doing everything for him?? I know this can cause a delay of speech, since he does not need to ask for anything.