Knowing how to identify a language delay is hard. As a Speech and Language Pathologist of 27 years, I share several tips for identifying a language delay and what you can do about it.

Ways to identify language delays in children:

• If a child is not babbling by 15 months
• If a child is not talking by two years old
• When a child can’t string together 2-3 word sentences by the age of 3
• Also, if a child can not follow a 1 or 2 step direction, that could be an indicator that they are not holding on to the information well
• Poor pronunciation and articulation – this can also affect a child’s ability to read

Why is identifying speech and language delays so important?

• A child can quickly fall behind in their education if their speech or language is delayed.
• Early identification allows a student to get the services that they need to improve their communication skills
• Identification gives parents and teachers strategies to help the student overcome those speech and language delays

Remember, a successful student is excited about learning. When speech and language delays go unidentified, those students are often left discouraged about school. This discouragement can manifest itself in behavioral problems that could have been avoided if the student had been identified sooner.