Your child stutters

Stuttering is a clear sign that your child may benefit from speech therapy. Children who stutter often repeat entire words (e.g., “He-he-he ran to the door”) or just the first sound (e.g., “j-j-jump”). Sometimes, they might avoid speaking altogether due to frustration.

Your child has inconsistent voice quality. Speech disorders aren’t always related to sounds like vowels or consonants. A child with a raspy voice or difficulty controlling their volume may need early intervention.

Avoids play groups

Your child doesn’t engage with other children. If your baby doesn’t smile or react when others are speaking or playing, it could be a sign to consult a speech therapist. Early intervention can address underlying communication issues.

Your child isn’t babbling

Between 4 and 7 months, babies should begin making “babbling” or nonsensical sounds, which are crucial for language development. If your child isn’t engaging in these vocal activities, it might be time to seek guidance from a speech expert.

Your child shows inconsistency in speech

If your child pronounces a word correctly the first time but struggles on subsequent attempts, or pauses unnaturally between syllables, this could indicate a speech disorder.

Your child doesn’t point or gesture

By their first birthday, a child should be pointing and waving. If they aren’t gesturing at all, it’s important to consult a pediatrician. The doctor may refer you to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist, as this could be an early sign of a developmental disorder, such as autism. Early speech therapy can significantly enhance speech and language skills in children with autism.

Your child makes phonological errors

If your 3-year-old says “fum” instead of “thumb” or “ba-wa-wa” instead of “ba-na-na,” they may be experiencing phonological or articulation issues. Substituting, omitting final sounds, or simplifying words are signs that their speech muscles might be underdeveloped or uncoordinated. Speech therapy can strengthen these muscles and improve their communication abilities.

Your toddler can’t follow simple instructions

While it’s common for children to struggle with complex instructions, a toddler should be able to respond to simple directions like “Look at the TV” or answer basic “what” and “where” questions. If your child has trouble with this, it may indicate a speech or developmental issue, such as autism.

Your child’s speech is hard to understand

By age 2, strangers should be able to understand about half of what your child says, and by age 3, around 75%. If your toddler’s speech is unclear, consulting a speech therapist is important for diagnosis and improvement in articulation.

Your child has a cleft palate

Cleft palate, affecting 1 in 1,600 children in the US, can cause difficulties with speech, feeding, and drinking. In many cases, surgery can correct the palate, but older children may need speech therapy to help them properly produce sounds and regain normal speech function.

Your child has some degree of a hearing disorder

To produce sounds accurately, children need to hear them clearly. Hearing loss, especially in the early years, can contribute to more significant speech disorder in children. If your child has even partial hearing loss, collaborating with an audiologist and speech therapist is crucial to ensuring they acquire the necessary communication skills for success in both school and life.