When to Be Concerned About Your Child’s Speech or Language Skills

Disclosure :: This post was written by Dr. Allyn Clause, DDS, MSD of Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry, in collaboration with Sarah Tate, CCC-L/SLP, CLC the in house feeding therapist with Hope Therapy Lafayette. 

When to Be Concerned About Your Child’s Speech or Language Skills

Understanding the Signs and Seeking Help Early

As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your child’s development, and when it comes to speech and language skills, many questions can arise. Is my child talking enough? Should they be using more words at this age? And, perhaps most importantly, when should I be concerned about my child’s speech or language development? 

The truth is every child develops on their own unique timeline. However, being aware of typical speech and language milestones can help you make informed decisions about your child’s health and well-being. 

Here’s a simplified, helpful guide on age-related speech and language milestones. If your child is not meeting these age-related milestones, please seek professional advice if you have concerns. Early intervention is the key to addressing any speech and language delays.

 12 months: 

• Gestures such as pointing, waving, and eye contact
• Tries to communicate through language skills such as facial expressions and hand motions 
• 1-2 words 

18 months: 

• Understands and uses words for common objects, some actions, and people in their lives 
• Follows one-step directions—like “Drink your water.” 
• Nods head “yes” and shake head “no.”

 24 months: 

• Uses and understands at least 50 words.
• Puts two or more words together like “more snack.” 
• Follows two-step directions like “Get the ball and bring it to me.”
  

3 years old: 

• Says their name when asked. 
• Uses –ing verbs like running. Adds –ed to the end of words to talk about past actions, like looked. Uses some plural words like birds or toys. 
• Asks why and how. 

4 years old: 

• Compares things with words like bigger or shorter. 
• Understands and uses more location words, like inside, on, and under. 
• Your child talks smoothly. Does not repeat sounds, words, or phrases most of the time. 

5 years old: 

• Produces grammatically correct sentences. 
• Uses more words for time—like yesterday and tomorrow—correctly. 
• Recognizes and names 10 or more letters and can usually write their own name. 

A full version of these milestones can be found here.

The Rule of 25 

In speech therapy, the “rule of 25” refers to the idea that a child’s speech should be roughly 25% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners by the age of 1 year, meaning that about a quarter of their words should be understandable to someone who doesn’t know them well. This percentage increases as the child gets older, with most children reaching 50% intelligibility by age 2, 75% by age 3, and 100% by age 4.

What to Do If You’re Concerned 

Early intervention can make a substantial difference in helping children catch up and thrive. Here are the steps you can take: 

1. Talk to your pediatrician or other healthcare provider, such as your pediatric dentist, if you notice that your child is struggling to meet the milestones listed above. These professionals can help assess whether your child’s development is on track and refer you to specialists if necessary. 
2. Request a speech-language evaluation. Sometimes it is hard for your child to reproduce the difficulties they are having at home when at the pediatrician’s office; ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) if you remain concerned. An SLP will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine your child’s language skills and whether they need support. 

Closing Thoughts 

While each child develops at their own pace, being aware of the signs of speech or language delays can help ensure that any issues are addressed early, allowing your child the best possible chance to thrive. Early intervention can be life-changing, so trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to seek help. Remember, with the right support, most children can overcome language challenges and grow into confident communicators.

For more information on speech and language delays or if your child is experiencing speech delays, don’t hesitate to reach out to Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry! 337-443-9944!

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