Almost two with NO WORDS!

[playfelt]

The good news is that you are hearing words from time to time. I would be more concerned if there was nothing in her gibberish that could be mistaken for a whole word. I am finding children talking later and later - kind of on par with their development which is later in all areas than it used to be 10-20 years ago. The ones I have had that are like the one you describe are taking it all in but not able to get it all out. Sometimes that comes with time and they just start talking one day in complete sentences. Others need speech therapy help to start processing what they are hearing. Glad to hear that they are having her assessed to rule out things like hearing - even though she appears to hear you if there are gaps in the kinds of sounds she can hear that will determine which word sounds she can make. Also make sure that she is following what you say specifically and not just following the group. If you say come to the table she might just be following the other children to the table or what you are saying is like a guide as in she has mastered routines and isn't really doing it because of whay you said but more because that is what she has learned to do in certain circumstances. Someone above mentioned sign language. I know it is supposed to help increase language but my experience has been that parents continue it too long and let the kids get away with a sign when an oral response is called for. Again we would never have allowed an 18 month old to point and grunt or act out what they wanted like sign for a drink. IF they didn't say it they didn't get it. But parenting has changed - and not always for the better in my opinion.