Early Intervention Matters in Language Delays!
Written By: Amy Wolcott M.S., CCC-SLP
Children develop communication at different rates. Some say their first word before their first birthday; some wait several more months. Some are speaking in intelligible sentences by the age of three; others may still be very difficult to understand. So how do you know when a child will catch up and when you should seek help?
Use Developmental Milestone Charts as Guides
Developmental milestone data represents average ages at which children display certain skills. If your child is slightly behind the ages on the chart, you shouldn’t panic—but you should have a conversation with your pediatrician about options for further assessment. Here are some general guidelines:
7-9 months
- Babbles long strings of sounds
10-12 months
- Responds to simple phrases
- Says one or two words
13-18 months
- Follows simple instructions
- Understands and uses words for common objects, actions, and familiar people
- Uses a combination of long strings of sounds, syllables, and words with speech-like inflection
19-24 months
- Uses and understands at least 50 words
- Puts two or more words together
- Follows two-step directions
2-3 years
- Speech becomes clearer, but may not be understandable to unfamiliar listeners
- Uses vowel sounds and consonants /p, b, m, h, w, d, n/
- Asks “why” and “how” and answers questions like, “Which one can you wear?”
3-4 years
- By age four, most of what a child says is intelligible, though errors may be present in later developing sounds /l, j, r, sh, ch, s, v, z, th/
- Says all the syllables in words, and the beginning, middle, and ending sounds
- Pretends to read and spell and can write some letters
4-5 years
- Produces grammatically correct sentences
- Produces most consonants correctly, and speech is intelligible in conversation
- Blends word parts and identifies some rhyming words
- Follows simple instructions and rules to play a game
*A complete list of speech and language milestones for birth-5 months can be found here.
If You Have Concerns, an Evaluation Is Always Appropriate
If you are concerned that your child is not meeting any of the milestones above, it is never a mistake to schedule an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. If our SLPs determine your child’s speech and language skills are developing normally, they can set your mind at ease and equip you with strategies to support continued language development at home. If an evaluation reveals speech and language delays, the earlier intervention starts, the better!
Research Supports Early Intervention for Speech and Language Delays
Research consistently demonstrates that early intervention improves outcomes for children with speech and language delays. Studies show that children who begin intervention earlier demonstrate faster progress. Research also demonstrates better language outcomes for children whose caregivers are trained in language facilitation strategies to use at home.
Early Intervention Sessions Are Play-Based and Family-Oriented
If your preschooler needs speech therapy, what will it look like? At The Pediatric Place, our early language intervention sessions are play-based and child-led. The best progress happens when a child is engaged. Your child’s session will consist of fun activities expertly designed to target their communication goals. We strongly encourage parents and caregivers to be active participants in therapy so you are prepared to carry over learning strategies at home.
Are you concerned about your child’s speech and language development? Call us to schedule an evaluation today!
