Should I be concerned if my child’s speech is delayed?

cae Special Education, Special Needs , , ,
Should I be concerned if my child’s speech is delayed?

If you have noticed your child is not speaking as scheduled, there is no need to be alarmed. Speech and language development in children is progressive but the schedule of development is not strict. One child may speak slightly earlier and be more developed than another but it could just mean they are developing at a different pace and is to be expected.

Speech and language development follows this progression, but your child may not follow this progression strictly:

0-5 months:

  • Responds to sources of sound or voices
  • Makes cooing noises or displays sounds associated with emotions like laughter.

6-11 months:

  • Uses gestures
  • Attempts to repeat words of adults
  • starts babbling

12-17 months:

  • Is able to follow simple directions
  • Attempts to imitate full words
  • Starts to understand and answer basic questions non-verbally

18-23 months:

  • Has a vocabulary of up to a dozen words
  • Can ask for common things by name
  • Can pronounce vowels properly and starts using other sounds

2-3 years:

  • Understands and uses “you,” “I,” “me,” and other pronouns
  • Starts forming multiple words into a phrase or short sentence
  • Has ability to verbally reply to simply questions

3-4 years:

  • Speak at a level that strangers should be able to understand
  • Can express their feelings and thoughts
  • Able to repeat and convey whole sentences

If your child hasn’t reached these milestones you should still have a doctor or professional assess if the child does indeed have speech and language delays. It is more critical to assess early if the child was premature or had low birth weight as they are more susceptible to developmental delays.

Even if your child does have speech and language delays, proper assessment and treatment are very effective to correcting the delays.

If you are interested in learning more about the different stages of your child’s speech and language development, contact us for a FREE PREVIEW and Course Introduction.

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