Tips for when to seek speech therapy help for your child
Every child reaches developmental milestones at different times, but when should parents and caregivers be concerned about their child’s speech and how can they get help?
Many factors impact a child’s speech and language development, including being born prematurely, or experiencing hearing loss. Speech and language delays may reveal other developmental delays, so knowing when to get help from a speech language pathologist can be helpful.
“If you have any concerns regarding your child’s speech and language development, don’t hesitate to request a speech-language evaluation,” says Alice Cho, a speech-language pathologist at Mary Bridge Children’s Therapy in Renton. “Your child’s pediatrician can help identify delays in your child’s individual development and provide referrals to specialists including speech therapy, if needed.”
Things you can do to help your child’s speech and language development
- Narrate their environment. Children learn to imitate sounds and words heard during play and daily routines.
- Read to them. Books provide a wealth of language development benefits to a child’s rapidly developing brain.
- Sing to them. If your child has heard the song before, try pausing to let them finish a part of it. Repeat songs as much as possible.
- Play with them. Children learn communication best through interactive play!
When to get help
In addition to major speech and language development milestones, watch for signs that your child’s speech and language might be delayed or impaired. These may include:
- Exclusively using gestures (pointing, waving) instead of using words
- Limited imitation of sounds and words
- Difficulty understanding simple verbal tasks (“Which one is red?” “Can you get the ball?”)
- Excessively raspy voice or hyper-nasal speech
- Difficulty articulating phonetic sounds
- Stuttering
By 2 years old, half of your child’s speech should be understood by non-family members or those who don’t regularly interact with your child. By three years old, that percentage should increase to 75 percent and 100 percent by four years old.
“Speech-language pathologists work to identify and address a variety of communication difficulties,” Cho says. “Our goal is to help each child thrive in their ability to communicate. We educate families and caregivers so that they feel empowered to practice their child’s speech-language skills at home.”
Learn more about Mary Bridge Children’s therapy services, including speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and feeding therapy, available in multiple locations across the Puget Sound region.