How to Tell if Your Child Has a Speech Delay
Leanne Sherred, M.S., CCC-SLP
Wondering if your child has a speech delay? You aren't alone. Parents and caregivers often wonder if their child could be behind in their speech and language development. Truth be told, determining whether your toddler or preschooler is just a "late bloomer" or needs professional help isn’t always easy.
In order to learn more about this, it's vital to understand what's typical - and what's not - when it comes to childhood speech and language development. Expressable understands the importance of bringing this knowledge to parents and caregivers. That's why this article will cover 5 signs of a potential speech delay. Keep reading to see if your child may be showing any of these signs.
Could your child have a speech delay?
Take our screener5 signs of a speech delay
1 Not learning or using new words
Between ages 18 and 30 months, toddlers should be progressing in their language development by regularly using new words. They should also be starting to string words together to make simple phrases, like "I want snack!" or ask questions, such as "Where's mommy?" If you don’t hear your child saying new words often, this may be a sign of a speech or language delay.
You can learn more about expected developmental milestones for toddlers and preschoolers in our articles covering 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds.
2 Difficulty imitating or producing sounds
Another way to keep an eye on your child's development is to observe how easily they imitate sounds, or even just make their own sounds. Babies should begin babbling between 6-9 months, with verbal skills progressing even more by 9 months and up.
Around 9-12 months you should observe your baby starting to imitate environmental sounds or animal sounds like, "vroom vroom!" or "woof woof!"
By 1-years-old, imitation skills should be improving even more, with your baby at least attempting to repeat sounds, and even some words, after you. Their pronunciation won't be perfect, but their attempts are what is important. If your child is not readily imitating sounds and words these can be signs of a speech delay.
3 Not using gestures
Even if your child isn’t speaking yet, actively using gestures is a good sign they are developing other communication skills. Gestures actually support verbal language development and are an excellent sign of growing language skills. If a 1-year-old child is not using many gestures, this can be a sign of a speech delay. Gestures can include things like:
Waving “hi"
Pointing to food or an item they want
Raising their arms so you'll pick them up
Using simple signs for "more," "please," or other functional words
If your child is not using gestures, there’s a higher likelihood they could have a communication problem.
4 Trouble understanding language
Many children are able to understand basic commands and language before they start using words themselves. If your child seems to be understanding what they hear--for example, pointing to objects when you name them, or following simple instructions--these are good signs that their receptive language is on track. However, if you think your child isn't able to grasp what others are saying, there is a chance that their comprehension is behind. Given that children must understand language before they can use it, this would be likely to lead to a delay.
5 Frustration when trying to communicate
It's normal for young children to have some frustration when trying to figure out how to say what they want to. They are learning how to speak, after all! But, what's not normal is for frustration to be frequent, severe, or for you to never be able to understand what they mean.
If your child is ending up in tears or throwing fits when they're trying to tell you something, this is a strong sign of a speech delay. Imagine not being able to communicate when you want something to eat or drink, or if you need help with something. That would make anyone upset.
Try asking your child to show you what they need if they can't tell you. Maybe they can point to what they need, or even just give you some clues.
You can also ask them yes or no questions: "Are you hungry?" "Do you want an apple?" Find ways to communicate with them in ways that are more direct and simple.
Concerned about your child's speech?
We're here for you. Schedule a free consult call to ask questions and find out if a speech evaluation is right for your child.
Free consultationWhat should you do if you think your child has a speech delay?
Research in speech and language disorders has shown that the earlier speech therapy begins, the better the outcomes. If you think your child may be struggling, consider scheduling an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist, also known as a speech therapist.
A speech therapist is best equipped to evaluate your child, discuss any questions or concerns you have, and provide professional guidance on whether your child should be enrolled in an early intervention program to receive speech therapy. Helping your child learn to communicate clearly and confidently will have a positive effect on their social, academic, and emotional development.
Work with us at Expressable
Here at Expressable we have an amazing team of speech therapists. We have worked with thousands of young children and their caregivers to help them make progress in their communication.
Even if you aren't sure if your child needs speech therapy, you can talk with a specialist to express any concerns and ask any questions. It's a brief call that is totally free to you. If after talking with the specialist you find that your child is a candidate for speech therapy and you're ready to sign up, the specialist can help you through that process.
Working with an Expressable speech therapist is a one of a kind experience. They will get to know you and your child, and will work closely with you to help your child with their speech delay. Personalized goals and fun and engaging speech therapy sessions help kids enjoy each appointment (and make progress while doing it!)
On top of personalized online speech therapy sessions, we also have an online client portal that provides amazing support for your child's progress. The client portal is where your speech therapist will send you educational modules, called learning paths, to help you and your child practice and improve communication at home.
Reach out to us today! Expressable can help. You don't have to navigate your child's speech and language development alone.
