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When should my child see a speech therapist?

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

When should my child see a speech therapist?

When should my child see a speech pathologist? Read on for more information... 

 

When should my child see a speech pathologist?

Delayed speech and language development is a common concern.  So, how do you know when your child should see a speech pathologist?

If you or other family members have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, this is reason enough to seek an assessment and advice from a speech pathologist.  Parents, caregivers, teachers and health professionals who know a child, are often the first to identify whether a child may be experiencing some difficulties with communication.  

The following signs indicate that your child might benefit from seeing a speech pathologist:

Between 1 and 2 years of age:

  • No babbling
  • Does not respond when being spoken to
  • Does not use sounds, words and gestures to communicate

Between 2 and 3 years of age:

  • Does not use words
  • Does not respond when being spoken to
  • Speech and language development has stalled rather than progressed

Between 3 and 4 years of age:

  • Can join 2 words together (for example: ‘Bubbles gone’), but does not join 3 or more words together
  • Difficulty understanding simple instructions (for example: ‘Get your boots please’)
  • Speech is not easily understood by close relatives and friends

Between 4 and 5 years of age:

  • Can join 3 words together (for example: ‘I like trucks’), but does not join 4 or more words in a sentence
  • Difficulty with understanding instructions or stories

5 years and over:

  • Difficulty with providing a recount of their day or telling a story
  • Difficulty with understanding spoken or written language
  • Difficulty with remembering or following instructions
  • Difficulty with having a back-and-forth conversation
  • Speech is not easily understood by others
  • Often mispronounces words

How can a speech pathologist help?  

Speech pathologists help children to build the skills they need to communicate.  Speech pathologists are able to assess children and devise treatment plans that best suit their needs.  This treatment plan will be different for every child.  For example,  some children will benefit from working on combining words to make 2-word phrases, others may benefit from help with learning new speech sounds.

 

As well as supporting children to develop their speech and language skills, speech pathologists can also help children with:

  • Eating and drinking
  • Stuttering
  • Reading and spelling
  • Social skills

Where can I get more information?

You can go to the Speech Pathology Australia website:  https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au and click on the “Resources for the Public” tab to find many useful fact sheets or to search for a speech pathologist in your area.