I'm very worried about my grandchild not talking at 18 months. is there a problem, you think?

Get checked: Delays in language and literacy development do not occur because a child lives in a multi-lingual environment. This is a common misconception. The real red flags to look for are: are the parents worried about hearing, no babbling by 9 months, no first words by 15 months, no consistent words by 18 months, or no word combinations by 24 months. Consider double checking w/ a pediatrician.

Perhaps: Most children have some speech by 18 months of age. The most important first step is to have his ears examined and to have his hearing tested. If the tympanic membranes look normal and the hearing is normal, ask his pediatrician for advice about next steps.