Children develop communication skills at different rates. A toddler who falls behind her peers in speech and language may match up on her own or may have a problem requiring your attention. Consider both active speech -- meaning the words your child produces -- and receptive language, or how much your child understands when you talk. If you suspect a problem, your child's pediatrician should arrange for a hearing test and a visit with a speech and language pathologist.
Normal Development
Generally, by age 1, a child should understand simple directions such as "Drink your milk" and say a few simple words, such as "mama" and "dada," according to the Mayo Clinic. By 18 months, a vocabulary of eight to 10 words is typical, and the child should recognize the names of familiar people, objects and body parts. At 24 months, the child's vocabulary is likely to be at least 50 words, including short phrases such as "more milk" and "go bye-bye?" The toddler is likely to start using pronouns such as "mine." Three-year-olds generally are combining three or more words to make sentences. They understand sentences such as, "Put it on the table," according to Kids Health.
Word Explosion
Language development in toddlers does not progress in linear fashion. It begins slowly at first and, at a certain point, takes off suddenly, according to What to Expect, a website by Heidi Murkoff, author of the bestselling book "What to Expect When You're Expecting." The "explosion" usually arrives when the child is about 18 months old. In this way, vocabulary grows to between 1,000 and 3,000 words at age 3. Not everything your toddler says, however, will be easy to understand, as young children often substitute easier-to-pronounce sounds for consonants they find tricky.
Warning
Take note if your child is not yet using gestures, such as waving or pointing, by age 12 months, according to Kids Health. For an 18-month-old, failure to imitate sounds or difficulties understanding simple requests are warning signs. In a 2-year-old, it is time to seek an evaluation if the child cannot follow simple directions, use speech to communicate more than immediate needs, or do more than imitate what he hears. Also, look for any unusual tone of voice, such as raspiness or a nasal sound, and for particularly unclear speech compared with other children of the same age.
Problems
Several factors can account for delays in children's language development. Some have trouble speaking clearly because of abnormalities of the tongue, the palate or the fold beneath the tongue, called the frenulum, according to Kids Health. In others, the brain does not effectively send signals to the tongue, pips and jaws to produce speech. More general developmental delays can also be the issue, as can hearing problems and chronic ear infections.
Tips
Take steps to support your toddler's language development. Narrate as you go about daily tasks. Explain to your child, for example, that you are slicing an apple to share for lunch, according to What to Expect. Use clear, simple, adult sentences, avoiding baby talk. When your toddler says a word such as "apple," repeat and elaborate with adjectives, describing it. Ask your child questions to initiate two-way interactions, and read and sing to her often.
