How Many Words Should a 17 Month Old Say?
“How many words should a 17 month old say? I can’t decide if my daughter is behind the curve or not.”
There is no specific word count for a 17-month-old. The general milestone is that by 18 months, a child should say three or more words besides ‘mama’ or ‘dada’. This video gives you an idea of the speech level of most 18 month old babies. At 18 months, babies should follow one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy car, when you say, ‘give it to me’.
There are other 18-month-old milestones:
Social/emotional milestones:
- Moves away from you but looks to make sure you are close by
- Points to show you something interesting
- Puts hands out for you to wash them
- Helps you dress him by pushing arm through sleeve or lifting up foot
- Looks at a book with you
Cognitive milestones:
- Copies you doing chores, like cleaning
- Plays with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy train
Movement/Physical milestones:
- Walks without assistance
- Scribbles
- Drinks from a cup (although may spill sometimes)
- Feeds himself with his fingers
- Tries to use a spoon
- Climbs on and off a sofa without help
If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills they once had, or you have any other worries, reach out to your doctor. Have a chat with them and ask for your child to have a developmental screening.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends that children are screened using standardized validated tools at 9, 18, and 30 months or whenever a parent or provider is worried. It is also recommended that children are screened at 18 and 24 months for autism.
I hope this information helps. The key message to remember is to keep an eye on your child’s developmental milestones while remembering that childhood is not a race! Milestones are meant to be informative and not to create anxiety. If you think that your child is not hitting a milestone, talk to your doctor.
Related articles:
Developmental Milestones at 2 Years Old
What Should a 2 Year Old Know?
How to encourage my Toddler’s Speech Development
I hope this information helps! I wish you and your child all the very best.
Love,
Ana
