When to seek professional help

There’s nobody around who can better attest to the fact that all children develop at their own pace. Some talk early, some sit before they roll over, some know all their letters before the age of 3 and some run before they walk. Variation in development is completely normal, and part of what makes your child unique! However, there are some instances when it can be beneficial to seek the input of a developmental professional, even if just for peace of mind.

When it comes to speech and language, the old benchmark use to be 50 single words by 18 months, and combining 2-3 words by 2 years of age. However, if you went to your pediatrician with your 18 month only saying 20 words, they’d likely not make much of a fuss, and that would probably be OK. Saying 20 words, understanding many more, playing with age appropriate toys (more on that in another post!) and eating a range of foods with different tastes and textures all points to typical development in my book.

Yet sometimes a parent just has a feeling that their child isn’t quite doing enough when it comes to communicating. Maybe their child relies on grunting more than attempting to say a word. Maybe they’re not yet pointing. Maybe all their words sound exactly the same: whether they’re saying “dog” or “banana”, it all sounds like “booaa”. Something just isn’t right. And when that feeling hits, it is always a good time to ask a professional.

But what about my 3 year old? He says lots of words but I can only sometimes understand him… When it comes to articulation, by three years of age, children should be generally intelligible to most adults in and out of context. Sure there will be words or times when it’s hard to catch their meaning, but for the most part, they should be able to communicate efficiently with adults and kids alike.

Teachers and Doctors may not be the first to draw a parent’s attention to deficits in language or communication. They often allow for another birthday to approach and by then your child may be behind the ball. If you as a parent have concerns about your child’s ability to communicate, whether it be if they’re talking, what they sound like, or the complexity of their language compared to other children their age, a licensed speech-language pathologist is always a great person to speak to about a screening or assessment.