[19M] Concerned about daughter's developmental milestones

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, your daughter may be experiencing a delay in her speech development. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including:

• Speech or Language Disorders: Conditions like Childhood Apraxia of Speech or Specific Language Impairment can cause a child to have difficulty with speech. These conditions often require speech therapy for improvement.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder: This is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Children with autism may not speak, or they may have delayed speech development.
• Hearing Loss: If a child can't hear well, they might have difficulty learning to speak.

It's important to note that children develop at their own pace, and it's not uncommon for some children to start speaking later than others.

What you can do

You should consult with a healthcare provider who can evaluate your daughter's condition and provide appropriate treatment or intervention if necessary. They may recommend:

• Speech and Language Therapy: A speech-language pathologist can work with your daughter to improve her speech and communication skills.
• Hearing Test: If your daughter hasn't had a hearing test, it might be a good idea to have one done to rule out hearing loss as a cause of her speech delay.
• Developmental Evaluation: This can help determine if your daughter's speech delay is part of a larger developmental delay.

What you should look out for

You should monitor your daughter's development and look out for other signs of possible developmental delays, such as:

• Not making eye contact
• Not responding to her name
• Not using gestures like pointing or waving
• Not playing pretend or social games

Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider for a formal diagnosis and treatment.