How Early Can Speech Delays Be Noticed?
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Ask An SLP: How Early Can Speech Delays Be Noticed?
First, it's important to know that not all speech delays start at the same time.
Some kids might experience delays from birth, while others might be "on track" until they get into school and begin struggling with higher-level academic language skills.
And there are lots of in-betweens.
The last thing I want is for anyone to think they should have noticed a delay sooner because some delays can be noticed at an earlier age. In your child's situation, that may not have even been possible... the delay may not have been there before.
But for now, let's focus on the early delays this mama was wondering about.
Some speech delays might be noticed as early as 3-6 months old, if your baby isn't cooing or babbling, for example.
More often, delays tend to be noticed in the 12-24 month range when you'd usually expect to hear a child's first words and then see a quick burst in vocabulary growth.
A few other early signs of speech delay could be...
- Not responding to their name by 12 months (if this happens, get a hearing evaluation asap)
- Difficulty understanding simple words or phrases like "mommy", "bottle", "no", or "more?" by 12 months
- Not playing with toys the way they were made to be used by 24 months
- Trouble following simple, 1-step directions by 24 months
- Difficulty staying focused on tasks (able to pay attention to a fun activity for about 2 minutes at a time by 24 months)
If you're worried your child might have a speech delay, it's never too early to call and ask about an evaluation.
You just might find out that everything's on track and your child doesn't need speech. And if they do need some extra support, getting started early is always best.
And if you find yourself stuck on a waitlist or you want to jump right into working on early language skills at home, our Developmental Milestones Checklist and Everyday Activities Mini-Course can help you get started.
Hi, I'm Emily
Founder of Moms Teach Speech
Emily helps parents who have kids with speech delays support their children's development with a holistic, functional, family-centered approach. She shares the strategies & activities she would use as a professional SLP so you can use them at home to become your child's best therapist.
Did you know..?
The easiest way to make speech practice feel so effortless and natural for your child that they don't even know they're "practicing"...
Is to use simple speech strategies during their daily routines.
Ready to learn how?
Our the Everyday Activities Mini-Course will walk you step-by-step through our favorite strategies to make speech practice easier than ever!
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