Speech Milestones: When does my child need help talking?

If you're trying to talk to your child at home and wondering whether their pauses and mispronunciations may lead to speech issues, then as a parent you aren't alone.

Seeing your child develop his/her communication abilities is always fun! However, how would you know whether your child is developing normally or if they need to see a speech language therapist (SLP) soon?

Fortunately, there are certain developmental benchmarks or milestones that you can use to measure your child’s progress during their early years. We're going to discuss what they are and how we can help them if they have speech difficulties

What Speech Goals Should I look for?

For 1 Year-Old Babies...

Your baby should begin using gestures, such as nods, points, or waves, by his/her first birthday. Parents can also expect a child's first words within the latter part of the first year.

For 18 Month-Old Babies...

As they grow older, your child will gradually learn new words until they reach approximately twenty words. You need them to be able to say "hi" or “bye” and answer basic questions (like "what's that?").

At age 18 months, children can identify and associate basic body parts when prompted. They're able to follow simple instructions as well. They also listen attentively to music, poems, and stories.

For 2 Year-Old Toddlers...

By age two, children should be able to understand simple verbal instructions or commands. At this stage, parents can tell if their children understand basic conversational skills by observing them when they interact with other people or listen to conversations.

They currently know roughly fifty words and understand at least three hundred. Your toddler should be able to combine these words into simple sentences.

For 3 Year-Olds to 5 Year-Olds (Preschool Age):

Children should be able to communicate their needs clearly by age three. At this stage, your child’s ability to speak clearly is more important than his/her perfect grammar.

Focus on observing their communication style and how they communicate what they want. By the time they reach their 5th birthday, children who speak normally should be able to produce almost any sound correctly.

For additional references, check out the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) for details on specific early language milestones in speech and listening skills.

My child is not talking or meeting these milestones. What should I do?

Don’t panic and assume your child has a specific language disorder just because they're not meeting certain developmental expectations. Each child develops at his/her own pace.

Cases can also swing both ways. Children who exhibit early signs of developmental delay may be at risk for further issues as they grow older. On the other hand, kids who seem to be quiet are just simply quiet, with their language development doing just fine.

Additional warnings signs such as:

• not reacting when someone speaks to them

• using hand signals rather than verbal communication

• not talking at all unless asked to speak up

• frequent frustration when others don’t understand what they say

... could indicate if your child has a speech delay. If these behaviors are occurring at home as well, it’s important to seek out professional help for assessment. Here's how you can get started with reaching out:

1) Talk to Your Family Doctor/Child's Pediatrician

One of the first people that you should talk to would be your family doctor or pediatrician. Speech skill issues might be brought up during routine visits for developmental checks, along with any concerns regarding language development.

You might be asked by your doctor whether your child has any developmental delays or difficulties, by which you can also refer to the above milestones to make it easier to communicate your child's current abilities.

If your child’s pediatrician recommends seeing a speech therapist for their language delay, he/she may provide a referral so that you can access public services which are free. Waiting lists for these services may be different depending on where you live and whether there’s high demand for them. However, there's also another option:

2) Contact a Private Speech-Language Pathologist

Waiting on a doctor's referral shouldn't prevent you from looking for a private speech-language pathologist (SLP), who you can personally look into instead of relying on a waiting list. You don't need a doctors' referral before they can provide treatment, so you're likely to get help sooner than if you had gone through the other route.

The SLP will assess your child's progress more thoroughly before any treatment begins. A speech pathologist may also ask your child to repeat certain sounds and words so they can identify which ones cause trouble. After identifying any difficulties, they will help you improve and develop your child’s speech and language skills through speech therapy.

However, it's also important to remember that speech therapy exercises aren't just during therapy sessions. Speech and language development requires continuous practice to improve speech and language abilities, so your practices with them at home is also just as valuable.

How Can Speech Therapy Help With These Delays?

Early intervention for speech disorders can help prevent future speech difficulties. Even if your child does not have a hindering language disorder, making sure that they are on the right track on speech development could help your children perform better at school, build their social skills and develop greater confidence in general.

Ready to get started? Sign up today for a free phone consultation so that we can get to know each other and talk about what we can do to help your child be their best self.