Speech Delay in Toddlers: When to Worry, and How to Help Your Child Talk at Home
Your toddler isn't talking yet, or says very few words. The official signs by age that mean see a professional, why hearing is checked first, and how a home full of talk helps a child learn to speak.
A child learns to talk in a house where people talk. To him, and in front of him, from the very first months, long before he can answer. That is the part you can do at home, every day. The signs below tell you when to bring in a professional as well.
Talk to him, from the start
Start early. Very early. Talk to your baby while you change him, feed him, carry him around the kitchen. He can’t answer yet. It doesn’t matter. He is collecting every word.
- Name things all day. “This is a cup. Water in the cup. You’re drinking.”
- Ask and answer. “What’s your name?” Then say it for him, clearly, and smile: “Your name is Adam!” One day he will say it first.
- Clap and cheer every try. A sound, half a word, a word said wrong: “Bravo!” and a clap. Children repeat what makes their parents happy.
- Wait. Ask a question and give him time. Many parents answer for the child before he has a chance.
- Teach little things. Colors, numbers, body parts, animal sounds. Short, playful, every day.
A quiet house teaches silence
If the adults in the house barely speak to each other, if the television talks and nobody else does, the child has very little to learn from. A screen talks at a child; it doesn’t talk with him. He can’t ask it a question and get an answer, and it doesn’t wait for him.
The World Health Organization says babies under one year “should not be getting any screen time at all,” and recommends “no more than one hour of sedentary screen time” a day for children aged 2 to 4 (World Health Organization). See also A Phone to Keep the Baby Quiet.
When to worry: the signs by age
Every child is different, and some talk later than their brothers or sisters. But some signs mean a professional should take a look. These lines are taken from official guidance, not rewritten. HealthLinkBC lists signs including:
- “No babbling by 9 months.”
- “No first words by 15 months.”
- “No consistent words by 18 months.”
- “No word combinations by 24 months.”
- “Not speaking clearly or well by age 3.”
It adds that any loss of speech or language skills, at any age, “should be addressed immediately” (HealthLinkBC).
Talk to your child’s doctor too if, by 12 months, your child “isn’t using gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye”, or, by 2 years, “can’t follow simple directions” (KidsHealth, Nemours).
Hearing comes first
A child who doesn’t hear well can’t copy what he hears. The same source says: “Hearing problems also can affect speech. So an audiologist should test a child’s hearing whenever there’s a speech concern.”
Getting help early is not a label
Seeing a speech and language therapist doesn’t mean something is wrong with your child for life. Early help is often short and simple, and most of it is done by you, at home, with the same talking and playing described above.
Next step
This week, name everything you do together, out loud, and clap for every sound he tries. If he is past one of the ages above, book the appointment now. Screen plan → Morning card →