I'm worried about my 18 month old daught
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I'm worried about my 18 month old daughter's speech development. She only really says two clear words: "no" and "up". She babbles constantly in her own toddler language, but not English, and I'm not sure if that counts as words.
Her comprehension seems okay—she picks up specific toys when I ask her to, and she loves music and singing/dancing. But I've read that toddlers should have around 10 to 20 words by 18 months, and she is far from that.
I am planning to see our doctor to ask for an evaluation/referral. While we wait for that, what does the official 18-month developmental checklist actually look for regarding speech and communication? Does her babbling count, and what specific observations should I write down to bring to our pediatrician?
Answer
Here's what the official 18-month checklist looks for, what babbling does and doesn't count, and what to write down before your visit.
## What the 18-month list says about speech
The CDC 18-month checklist names **two language items** that most children (75%+) do by then:
- **Tries to say three or more words besides "mama" or "dada"**
- **Follows one-step directions without any gestures** — e.g., gives you the toy when you say "Give it to me"
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/18-months.html (accessed 2026-09-02)
She has one of those two (gives named toys when asked). The first item is the gap: the list asks for **3+ words besides mama/dada**, and she has "no" and "up" — that is 2.
## Does her babbling count?
Yes and no.
- **Positive sign.** Babbling and "jargon" (long streams of sound with sentence-like rise and fall) show she is practicing speech and that communication is moving forward. Worth writing down.
- **Doesn't count on this checklist.** The "3 words" item counts **recognizable attempts at real words**, even ones she says a bit wrong. Babbling itself doesn't tick that box.
If she uses the same sound the same way each time for the same thing (e.g., "ba" for bottle, "duh" for dog), that *is* a word-attempt and counts — worth noting today.
## What to write down today
| What to note | Date | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Words besides mama/dada | today | "no", "up" — total 2 |
| Other word-attempts | today | any sound used the same way every time for the same thing |
| Babbling / jargon | today | does it sound like sentences with a tune — yes / no |
| 1-step directions without gestures | today | picks up named toys when asked — yes |
| Points to show | today | points at something interesting to share, not just to ask — yes / no |
| Eye contact / showing | today | looks to check you are close, or brings an object to show |
| Hearing check | today | turned / didn't turn when you called her name in a quiet room |
| Lost skills | today | any words she used to say that she stopped saying |
These match the prompts pediatricians are trained to ask at this age: what you do together, what concerns you, whether she lost any skills, and any prematurity or special-care note. Bring them as dates and facts, not conclusions.
## Next step
You are not jumping any line. The 18-month visit is **when** formal developmental screening is supposed to happen anyway — that's the appointment you already have. The checklist gap is the reason to ask the doctor, in writing, for a formal screening and a speech-language evaluation referral. The checklist itself does not diagnose anything; the doctor's screening does.
I don't know which country you are in, so I can't point you at the local programme name or the local early-intervention entry — both depend on where you live. **Which country or region are you in?**