{"h1":"Worrying about Developmental Language Disorder at 18–24 months","faq":[{"a":"Many children have around 50 words and begin joining two words together by 24 months, but the normal range is wide. Understanding, pointing and gestures matter just as much as spoken words. If your child is well below this and using few gestures, a gentle check is worthwhile.","q":"How many words should my child have at 24 months?"},{"a":"A child who understands you well, points, gestures and is socially connected but speaks slowly is often a late talker who catches up. Difficulty understanding everyday requests, not responding to her name, or losing words she once had are reasons to seek a developmental and hearing check.","q":"Is my toddler just a late talker or is it something more?"},{"a":"Not usually. DLD as a formal label is generally considered from around age 3–4, when language patterns become clearer. Before then the right approach is to watch, support and check, including a hearing review, rather than to apply a label early.","q":"Can Developmental Language Disorder be diagnosed at 18–24 months?"},{"a":"Yes. Hearing dips and glue ear are common in toddlers and very treatable, and they can directly affect speech. A hearing check is a sensible early step whenever words or understanding seem behind.","q":"Should I get my toddler's hearing checked?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When to worry about DLD at 18–24 months","entity":{"key":"dld","kind":"condition","name":"Developmental Language Disorder","slug":"developmental-language-disorder"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler-18-24","value":"toddler-18-24"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-12-to-18-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When should I worry about Developmental Language Disorder at 12–18 months?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-2-year-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When should I worry about DLD in my 2-year-old?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When should I worry about few words at 18–24 months?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-developmental-language-disorder-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Developmental Language Disorder at 12–18 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-speech-and-language-delay","title":"When should I worry about speech and language delay at 18–24 months?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-developmental-language-disorder-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Developmental Language Disorder at 18–24 Months"}],"summary":"Between 18 and 24 months there is a very wide normal range in talking, and Developmental Language Disorder is rarely diagnosed this young. The most useful signal is whether your child understands you and communicates through gestures, pointing and eye contact, even with few words. Seek a gentle developmental and hearing check if words are very limited at 24 months, understanding seems delayed, or any skills are lost. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.","answer_md":"*If your toddler is closer to two and still saying very few words, it is natural to wonder whether something more than a slow start is at play — and asking early is a loving, sensible instinct.*\n\n## In short\nBetween 18 and 24 months there is a wide, normal range in talking — some children are happily chatty while others are quietly building up to it. [Developmental Language Disorder](/developmental-language-disorder) (ICD-11 6A01.2) is not usually diagnosed this young, but a few patterns are worth noting and watching rather than worrying over. The most useful single signal is whether your child is *understanding* you and *trying to communicate* — through pointing, gestures, sounds and eye contact — even if spoken words are few. None of these signs is a diagnosis; they simply tell you when a gentle developmental check is worthwhile.\n\n## What is normal — and what is worth watching\nAt this age, a typical range looks like: around 50 words by 24 months and beginning to join two words together (\"more milk\", \"daddy go\"). But communication is far bigger than word count. Watch your child's whole toolkit:\n\n- **Understanding** — does she follow simple instructions (\"get your shoes\"), point to body parts or familiar objects when named?\n- **Communicating without words** — pointing to show you things, bringing objects, gesturing, making eye contact and taking turns in babble\n- **Sound and word growth** — a steadily *growing* vocabulary, even if slow\n\nGentle reasons to seek a check around 18–24 months:\n\n- Very few or no clear words by 24 months **and** little use of gestures or pointing\n- Difficulty understanding simple everyday requests\n- Not responding to her name or to familiar words\n- A loss of words or skills she previously had (this always warrants prompt attention)\n\nA child who understands well, points, gestures and is socially connected — but is simply slower to speak — is often a \"late talker\" who catches up. That is reassuring, and still worth a conversation if you are unsure.\n\n## When a check becomes meaningful\nDLD as a formal label is generally considered from around age 3–4, when language patterns become clearer. Before then, the right stance is *watch, support and check* — not a frightening signs list. A developmental and hearing review is sensible if words are very limited at 24 months, if understanding seems delayed, or any time skills are lost. Always have hearing checked, as glue ear and hearing dips are common and very treatable.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online form or a checklist. Our team looks at your child's whole communication picture — understanding, gestures, play and hearing — before any label is ever considered, and supports families through gentle, play-based [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) when it helps. Backed by 25 million+ therapy sessions and 4.95 lakh+ families served across 70+ centres, our approach is empowerment first.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (6A01.2, Developmental Language Disorder); American Academy of Pediatrics developmental milestone guidance (healthychildren.org); ASHA guidance on early language and late talkers (asha.org).\n\n**Next step —** If your toddler's words or understanding feel behind, a calm check is the kindest first move. [Book a developmental check](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle speech-language therapist.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"DLD Worry at 18–24 Months: When to Check","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Narrate your day in short, clear phrases and pause to give your toddler time to respond — point to things you name, get down to her eye level, and celebrate every gesture, sound and attempt as a real conversation. Connection matters more than perfect words.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-developmental-language-disorder-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How does Developmental Language Disorder affect a child's daily life?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-developmental-language-disorder-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Developmental Language Disorder considered a disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-developmental-language-disorder-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Developmental Language Disorder Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-developmental-language-disorder","title":"What are common myths about Developmental Language Disorder?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-developmental-language-disorder","title":"What are the types or levels of Developmental Language Disorder?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-developmental-language-disorder-in-children","title":"What causes Developmental Language Disorder in children?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-developmental-language-disorder","title":"What is Developmental Language Disorder?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-developmental-language-disorder-and-what-does-it-look-like-in-early-childhood","title":"What is Developmental Language Disorder, and what does it look like in early childhood?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-other-conditions-often-occur-alongside-developmental-language-disorder","title":"What other conditions often occur alongside DLD?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-current-research-show-about-early-intervention-outcomes-for-developmental-language-disorder-in-children-under-7","title":"Early Intervention Outcomes for Developmental Language Disorder Under 7","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-developmental-language-disorder-and-what-are-its-icd-11-features-in-early-childhood","title":"Developmental Language Disorder: ICD-11 Definition & Early Features","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-icd-11-classification-for-developmental-language-disorder","title":"ICD-11 Classification for Developmental Language Disorder","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":14},{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-developmental-language-disorder-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Developmental Language Disorder at 18–24 Months","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-12-to-18-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When should I worry about Developmental Language Disorder at 12–18 months?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-2-year-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When should I worry about DLD in my 2-year-old?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When should I worry about few words at 18–24 months?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-speech-and-language-delay","title":"When should I worry about speech and language delay at 18–24 months?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-developmental-language-disorder-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Developmental Language Disorder at 12–18 Months","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-developmental-language-disorder-be-cured","title":"Can DLD be cured? 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life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"Watch your child's whole communication toolkit, not just word count: understanding of simple requests, pointing and gesturing, responding to her name, and a steadily growing vocabulary. Seek a check if there are very few words plus little gesture by 24 months, delayed understanding, or any loss of words or skills. Always have hearing reviewed.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/","code":"6A01.2","label":"WHO ICD-11: Developmental Language Disorder"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/","label":"AAP: early language milestones (HealthyChildren.org)"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/","label":"ASHA: late talkers and early language"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","meta_description":"Wondering if your 18–24-month-old might have Developmental Language Disorder? Learn what is normal, what to watch and when a gentle check helps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}