Children are reaching the age of 3 without being able to say a word, according to a British survey that also found boys are almost twice as likely to struggle to learn to speak as girls.
The average age for babies to speak their first word is 10 to 11 months. However, a significant minority of parents reported that their children said nothing until they were 3.
Toddlers between the ages of 2 and 3 should be able to use up to 300 words, including adjectives, and be able to link words together, according to I CAN, the children's communication charity. Late speech development can lead to problems, such as low achievement at school or mental health problems.
The survey of more than 1,000 parents found that a child's background was not a factor in how quickly they learned to talk. Working parents who put their babies in daycare are just as likely to have a child whose speech develops late as those who leave their baby in front of the television.
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