Speech Therapy for Late Talkers
We hear the question: “When should I be concerned that my toddler is not talking?” a lot. Our speech therapists diagnose the communication challenges your child is struggling with and provide the right therapy to help them develop their communication skills.
How do I know if my child's speech is delayed?
Delayed speech in a child can mean they have no words at all, very few words or are unable to structure words into a sentence. It helps, however, to also remember that language is not about the number of words a child can say, but rather about two-way communication. Good speech and language development includes both understanding what is said to you and expressing yourself using language.
Like all areas of children’s development, the speed at which they develop different skills varies. We therefore talk about developmental norms: the language abilities we expect to see within a certain age range. The below graphic introduces some examples of developmental norms. For a full picture of what you should expect when, visit the Ages and Stages page from Speech & Language UK.
What causes delayed speech?
There are many reasons why a child’s language may be delayed. Some are related to conditions such as Delayed Language Development or Autism; others are more unique to an individual child or their circumstances. During our assessment with children, we explore all areas of your child’s development, not just their language development. We also discuss their family history and their life so far to gain a full picture of your child's development.
Through our assessment we can begin to uncover the particular causes of delayed speech for your child and recommend a course of action to support their language development.
How do you assess my child?
Parents know their children really well, so our assessments focus on gathering information from you. We will ask lots of questions about their life so far, your experience of communicating with your child and the things you have noticed about their development.
We will also observe and play with your child in the therapy room, noting how and when they communicate.
After we have completed our assessment, we will discuss our conclusions with you and our recommendations for ongoing therapy, if required.
