{"id":"d3e7e3712edb95c7359778c37be60c60","slug":"my-18-month-old-only-has-3-words-should-i-be-worried","question":"My 18 month old only has 3 words — should I be worried?","answer":"With 3 words at 18 months, it's worth bringing up with your pediatrician soon, though you're not alone—about 1 in 10 toddlers develops language more slowly than expected at this age.\n\nThe typical range at 18 months is 5–20+ words, so your child is tracking a bit behind that benchmark. What matters most right now is what happens next: some children catch up on their own, while others benefit from early support. About half of toddlers with slower language development continue to have challenges into school age, which is why getting an early look from a speech therapist can make a real difference.\n\nWhen you talk with your pediatrician, mention the word count and ask whether they'd recommend a screening or referral to speech therapy. The good news is that early help works—and many areas have free local resources your pediatrician can connect you with.\n\nIn the meantime, the single most powerful thing you're already doing (or can lean into more) is responding when your child vocalizes. Babies who babble and get verbal responses from caregivers develop language fastest. Keep chatting back, reading together, and prioritizing face-to-face play over screen time during these language-building months.\n\nYour pediatrician can give you clarity on whether your child needs support, and catching this early gives them the best shot at progress.","sources":"[{\"title\":\"Infants' intentionally communicative vocalizations elicit responses from caregivers and are the best predictors of the transition to language: A longitudinal investigation of infants' vocalizations, g\",\"journal\":\"Developmental science\",\"year\":\"2020\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31045301/\",\"score\":0.77},{\"title\":\"Exposure to electronic media was negatively associated with speech and language development at 18 and 24 months.\",\"journal\":\"Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)\",\"year\":\"2021\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34227158/\",\"score\":0.76},{\"title\":\"Child Developmental Delays and Disorders: Speech and Language Delay.\",\"journal\":\"FP essentials\",\"year\":\"2021\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34709025/\",\"score\":0.76},{\"title\":\"Receptive-Expressive Language Phenotypes in Infants and Toddlers With Autism Features.\",\"journal\":\"Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research\",\"year\":\"2026\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41786477/\",\"score\":0.76},{\"title\":\"Predictive Validity of the Infant Toddler Checklist in Primary Care at the 18-month Visit and School Readiness at 4 to 6 Years.\",\"journal\":\"Academic pediatrics\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36122830/\",\"score\":0.75}]","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-07-08T20:28:39.467Z"}