Is Your Child a Late Talker Toddler or Is There a More Serious Problem?

Late talkers are children between the age of 18-30 months and are not speaking as much as they should. They are said to have a speech delay. But don't panic - we are here to help!

In this article we will discuss:

Cheri gives you some clear advice in our video, or keep reading below:

But it's important to know what the indicators are for when a child's language difficulties are not only an expressive language delay. Thankfully, there are evidence based characteristics that you can start to pay attention to with your late talker toddler.

First, it's important to know that an expressive language delay is defined as when your toddler is speaking later than other toddlers their age. It has nothing to do with whether you can understand what they are saying - that's speech, not language.
 

But if your child is not using language like their peers, here are some of the other aspects to watch out for that might indicate that there may be something bigger going on with their language development.

1. Delays in Cognition - if cognitive skills are delayed, then receptive language skills are delayed, and so are expressive skills. Cognitive delays and disorders can be due to genetic diagnoses such as Fragile X or Down syndrome, complications during pregnancy or birth including prematurity, infections or trauma. We might suspect that there is a cognitive delay if the child is delayed in several different milestones. For example, the child was a late walker and is now a late talker and may be missing some social skills.

If you detect a speech delay then seek help as soon as possible

2. Joint Attention Difficulty - Also called shared attention,” and happens when two people focus on the same object/event. An example is if the child notices a dog running and then uses words/gestures/non-verbal methods to draw someone else's attention to it. They might say, "look!" or point or use eye gaze.

3. Limited/No Use of Gestures - Gestures (e.g., pointing, waving, blow a kiss) tell us that language skills are developing normal and tend to show up before words. Research has shown that the ability to use gestures at 18 months can predict language skills at 36 months. Here are 16 more gestures by 16 months.

4. Limited Pretend Play Skills - When engaged in pretend play, a toddler starts using their imagination. Play is a cognitive skill because by looking at what a child is doing, we can learn about what they are thinking. Examples of pretend play are using an object to represent another object (use a tissue for a for a doll's blanket), referring to an invisible object like holding an invisible steering wheel when pretending to drive a car.

These are only some of the things speech therapists look for when they hear that a toddler is a late talker. We are looking for these additional "red flags" to make sure that the expressive language delay is only that. At Better Speech you can get a free consultation with a speech therapist.

And why is identifying these deficits so important? Because if we don't recognize the whole problem we cannot treat it in the best way, and the child might not make progress, even if they are getting speech therapy.

We know that every child develops at their own pace and when a child learns to speak also happens at their own pace. Yet it is important for speech-language pathologists to refer to general milestones which can be a guide to normal speech and language development. When referring to these milestones, speech-language pathologists can determine if there may be a delay and if further testing is required.

Are you wondering what speech sounds your child should be saying at their age? Download our free and simple chart here.

At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.

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About the Author

Cheri Gipson

I am a speech-language pathologist who specializes in language skills and pronunciation. I obtained my Master’s of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Illinois University and I have worked in the field of speech pathology for over 20 years. One of the things I enjoy most is helping people learn.

In my spare time, I enjoy writing tips on how to improve online teaching for both the larger language schools and also as a private ESL teacher. Teaching is my passion, and I love seeing students make progress. Every day is a new adventure, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help people learn and grow!