Early Identification of Speech-Language Disorders
(asha.org)
Children develop at their own rate. Some children walk and talk early. Others take longer. Most children learn skills within an age range, such as between 12 and 18 months. A child who takes longer to learn a skill may have a problem.
It is important that you know what to expect. Below are some signs of speech, language, and hearing problems. You’ll see the expected age range next to each skill.
Language Disorders
A child with a language disorder may have trouble with one or more of these skills. Signs of language problems include:
| Birth to 3 months | Not smiling or playing with others |
| 4-7 months | Not babbling |
| 7-12 | Making a only a few sounds. Not using gestures, like waving or pointing. |
| 7 months – 2 years | Not understanding what others say |
| 12 – 18 months | Saying only a few words |
| 1½ – 2 years | Not putting two words together |
| 2 years | Saying fewer than 50 words |
| 2-3 years | Having trouble playing and talking to other children |
| 2 ½ – 3 years | Having problems with early reading and writing. For example, your children may not like to draw or look at books |
Speech Sounds Disorders
Speech is how we say sounds and words. It is normal for young children to say some sounds the wrong way. Some sounds do not develop until a child is 4, 5, or 6 years old. Signs of a speech sound disorder in young children include:
| 1–2 years | Not saying p, b, m, h, and w the right way in words most of the time |
| 2–3 years | Not saying k, g, f, t, d, and n the right way in words most of the time. Being hard to understand, even to people who know the child well. |
Stuttering
Most of us pause or repeat a sound or word when we speak. When this happens a lot, the person may stutter. Young children may stutter for a little while. This is normal and will go away over time. Signs that stuttering might not stop include:
| 2½–3 years | Having a lot of trouble saying sounds or words Repeating the first sounds of words, like “b-b-b-ball”for “ball” Pausing a lot while talking Stretching sounds out, like “fffffarm” for “farm” |
Schedule your new patient call!
During your new patient phone call, you will have the chance to:
- Tell us about your child
- Ask questions
- Schedule an appointment