The first year of a child's life can be a fun and somewhat challenging foray into mostly non-verbal communication. Until they can talk, you rely on facial expressions, gestures, and noises to figure out their needs and moods while they try to figure out what you’re saying.
While this period can be enjoyable, you’re looking forward to clearer communication in which they use words to express themself, yet these words seem to be slow in coming.
To figure out whether you might be dealing with a speech delay, the experienced team of speech therapists here at Celebrations Speech Group pulled together a few guidelines to help you determine whether your child might benefit from speech therapy.
Let’s first take a look at some of the more common issues that we see here at our practice that can lead to speech delays in children, such as
We also want to point out that there is a slight difference between speech and language delays. With a speech delay, you find it difficult to understand what your child is saying. With a language delay, your child might say words clearly, but they’re not putting them together well.
We want to emphasize an important point as we delve into this discussion about speech delays: children learn at their own pace. Some children might simply learn to talk later than others, but they catch up quickly, and it has no bearing on their future communication and development.
That said, we want to provide some numbers when it comes to speech timelines in kids:
Again, these are guidelines, but they’re good ones and can at least act as a solid reference.
Now we want to go in the other direction and list a few warning signs of speech delays, which include:
Again, please remember that some children may simply develop language skills later than others. However, if you recognize any of these warning signs, it’s a good idea to come see us for an evaluation.
If you suspect your child might be struggling with delayed speech, taking action sooner rather than later can make a big difference. Our team has the experience and skill to recognize when a speech delay is present.
More importantly, if we do find a speech issue with your child, we can quickly identify what might be causing the problem and start working on their speech and language skills right away. It should come as no surprise that early intervention with speech delays is preferable and can greatly improve your child’s outcome.
So, if you think your child might be struggling with early communication, it’s best to err on the side of caution and come see us for a comprehensive assessment. To get started, simply contact one of our offices in Brentwood, Stockton, or Elk Grove, California, to schedule an appointment.
