Should my toddler see a speech therapist?

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Many new parents aren’t confident in their child’s milestone mastery. They often wonder ‘Should my toddler see a speech therapist?’ In their first two years, children accomplish many things. They learn how to walk, crawl, talk and socialize in just a few months. The expected age range for most skills that your child will learn is usually around 6-10 months. Most babies crawl between 6-10 months old, while the majority of children are able to walk by age 15.

Speech milestones are the same. Your child should be able to say their first words by the age of 1, and should know 20 words by the age of 18 months. Don’t panic if your child falls short of these goals. You may find your child slow to develop their language skills. A speech therapist could help.

Side by Side Therapy can help your child if they are having difficulties with their development. Our therapists are warm and inviting, and we can help your child develop the skills necessary to live a happy and independent life. We have paediatric occupational therapists, speech therapists and behaviour analysts to help your child learn the skills necessary to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Speech and Language

Speech therapy can be used to help your child improve their language and speech skills. While speech and language are closely related, they are quite different. Children might have difficulties with speaking, with language, with fluency or with any combination of the three.

Speech

Speech includes articulation, voice and fluency. Effective verbal skills require the integration of all three components. Articulation refers to the movement of our lips, tongue, mouth, and mouth in order to produce certain sounds. Children who have difficulty with articulation might have difficulties with the “r” and “th” sounds. Voice refers to the use of breath and vocal folds in order to produce sounds. Your child does not need to speak loudly, but they should be able and able to communicate clearly at a consistent volume. Fluency refers to the ability to speak in a rhythmic manner. 

Language

Language is the use of words and how they are used to communicate ideas and achieve our goals. It can be understood, spoken, read, and written. One or more of the skills that a child may struggle with is language.

Including:

• What does the word mean? Some words can have multiple meanings. A bright object in the sky, or someone famous can both be considered “star”.
• How to create new words.We can use the words “friend”, “friendly”, or “unfriendly” to mean different things.
• How to combine words.In English, we use the phrase “Peg walked to new store” rather than “Peg walk new store”.
• What to say at different times.We might say, for example, “Would your mind moving your feet?” If the person doesn’t move, we may say “Get off my foot!”

A receptive language disorder is when you have difficulty understanding the meaning of others’ words. Expressive language disorders are when you have trouble sharing your thoughts, ideas and feelings.

Fluency

Fluency refers to continuity, smoothness, rate and effort. In other words, how easily a person is able to retrieve words and use them. Fluency disorders like stuttering and cluttering are common in children with autism.

Should my toddler see a speech therapist?

Each child learns at their own pace and there are many milestones to reach. If your child shows any of these signs, then it might be time to consider speech therapy.

Number of words

Your 18-month-old child will use less than 20 words and 50 words by the age of 2.

Numerous sounds

Only a few sounds are required to make all words sound right. This is due to articulation.

Understanding

Most children can understand 300 words by age 2. Speech therapy may be necessary if your child is having trouble understanding simple sentences such as “Get your coat!”

Social situations

Your child speaks infrequently and struggles to use language socially. Sharing and turn taking are also important social skills that are related to speech and language development

If you’re looking for services for your child, please contact Side by Side Therapy to arrange a no-charge consultation to discuss your child’s development and needs.