How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?
As speech therapists, we often get asked the questions, “Is my child’s speech normal?” and “Does my child need speech therapy?” Many times a parent may notice speech or language differences, and wonder if these are normal for their age or not. Sometimes a teacher, grandparent, or nanny may bring up concerns with a child’s speech or language.
While every child develops and grows at different rates and times, there ARE speech and language milestones to watch for in your own child. Since every child is different, it is important not to be alarmed if your child has not mastered every milestone for their specific age group. If your child is taking longer than expected to develop certain skills, there could be a delay. Talk to your pediatrician if you have a concern, or reach out to an SLP to further discuss your child’s development.
Communication milestones to look out for with your little one:
There are many resources available to help you track your child’s milestones. We have highlighted the important milestones in our handout, “Communication Milestones: 0-3 years old”.
You can also visit the following resources for developmental information:
What if your child is not meeting a milestone?
You should reach out to your pediatrician and/or a speech-language pathologist whenever you are concerned about your child's speech and language development.
Thinking about taking the “wait and see” approach?
Something to keep in mind is that babies develop very quickly, and each milestone is a stepping stone to the next! While a child may eventually catch up, each skill that does not develop is holding up another language milestone dependent on prior skills. Research suggests that 40-50% of late talkers do NOT catch up on their own, and early intervention can improve children's developmental outcomes (Paul, 1991). Something to think about: If your 18-month-old isn’t saying 10 words, it may be challenging for them to reach 50 words by 2 years. And by 2 years we want children to start putting two words together. A two-year-old needs to have those 50+ vocabulary words to build their language skills! So think of each milestone as a stepping stone to the next! Early intervention is KEY to bridging gaps that may be preventing your child from moving forward in development.
You know your child best!
It is important to remember you know your child best. You understand what your child means when they point to the door or if they're asking for more of something. You listen to your child talk and play every day. So, remember to trust your instincts about your child’s development. If you have older children, you may remember what they did and said at the same age. It is normal to compare your child to other children, but try to remind yourself that every child is on their own path. So look to see if they are meeting most of the milestones for their age. If you are noticing that your child is not meeting most or any of those milestones, though, then it would be appropriate to reach out to your pediatrician or a speech therapist.
