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As your baby gets older and starts to express themselves, you may wonder if they’re hitting their speech milestones “on time.” And if they aren’t, it may sound your alarm bells.

But 1 in 5 children will develop speech and language skills a bit later than their peers. Most of the time, they catch up on their own or with some gentle guidance. But in some cases, a professional speech-language pathologist can help support your child’s language development.

Learn the signs of speech delays and when to seek a speech evaluation.

What Are Speech and Language Delays?

Expressing language is more than just speaking sounds. Speech-language pathologists split the field into two areas:

• Speech, which is sound and muscles — Can the child make the sounds?
• Language, which is cognitive/brain work — Does the child know what they want to say? And can they comprehend what others say and express themselves in return?

A speech-language pathologist can help you find out if your child has a speech and/or language delay. It’s not always easy for parents to tell.

For example, a child can have excellent speech sounds but not know the words they want to communicate. They may point to items rather than ask for them. This dynamic often shows up as limited attempts to communicate.

Alternatively, a child may have excellent language skills but speech that others can’t understand. These kids know the words for “I want the big cookie!” but their speech may sound like, “I dant the dig tootie.”

Pediatric speech-language specialists can help with these issues, and more.

What does a speech delay mean?

A speech delay is when a child has trouble producing sounds. They may understand language but be unable to pronounce or form words clearly. This is also called an articulation error.

For some children, the struggle to learn and mimic words can become frustrating and show up as behavioral issues. Other times, speech delays can be a symptom of more serious problems, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), hearing loss, or developmental issues.

Many times, speech delays are temporary plateaus. Most children can overcome delays on their own or with the support of family or pediatric speech therapists.

What are the types of speech/language delays?

There are two main types of speech and language delays — receptive delays and expressive delays.

What are receptive delays?

Receptive language refers to a child’s ability to understand and respond to other people’s speech and gestures. A receptive language delay could look like a child having a difficult time:

• Answering questions.
• Learning new words and repeating them back.
• Processing language.
• Understanding and listening to directions.

What are expressive delays?

Expressive language refers to a child’s ability to speak, gesture, and communicate meaning to other people.

Children with this type of developmental delay may understand what others are saying. But they’re more likely to struggle with:

• Asking questions.
• Combining words to form phrases and, eventually, sentences.
• Telling simple stories.

Many children with speech delays show signs of struggle with both receptive and expressive language.

What Are the Speech Milestones for Toddlers?

All children develop physically and mentally on their own timelines. But some general communication milestones are helpful to know.

These are loose guidelines. So, it doesn’t automatically mean your child is behind or has a serious issue if they aren’t hitting milestones in the expected timeline. In fact, many children don’t hit all these milestones “on time,” but are developing perfectly fine.

Still, don’t be afraid to talk with your child’s health care provider about any concerns you have about their language development. Early intervention for speech and language delays can significantly improve outcomes.

These milestones are good guidelines for considering a speech therapist.

Language milestones before 1 year of age

When babies are 6 to 12 months of age, they may be able to:

• Blow raspberries by sticking out their tongue and blowing.
• Giggle and laugh.
• Lift their arms to show they want you to pick them up.
• Make babbling sounds such as “babababa” or “dadadada.”
• Make sounds back and forth with you.
• Make squealing noises.
• Recognize the names of some familiar people and objects.

Language milestones by the age of 1

Most 1-year-olds can:

• Babble with a changing pitch, as if speaking a sentence.
• Begin to respond or react to someone calling their name.
• Find where a sound is coming from by looking around for the source.
• Look where you point.
• Make sounds while pointing to specific items.
• Speak at least one word and use sounds like “dada” and “mama.”
• “Talk” back and forth with you by listening to you speak and babbling an answer when you stop.
• Understand the word “no.”
• Wave “bye-bye.”

Language milestones between 1 and 2 years of age

Most toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2 can:

• Follow simple commands when an adult uses words and gestures.
• Look at some objects when you name them.
• Name a few objects or pictures.
• Point to a few of their body parts when named.
• Point to objects they want you to look at, name, or get help with.
• Retrieve an item when asked.
• Start pretending to do activities using words and gestures (such as cooking, cleaning, or caring for pets).
• Speak many words.

Language milestones by 2 years of age

Most 2-year-olds can:

• Be understood by adults about half the time.
• Follow one-step commands.
• Gesture in new ways, such as nodding or shaking their head and blowing a kiss.
• Point to many of their body parts when asked.
• Say one or two three-word phrases such as “I love you” or “I want milk.”
• Speak up to 100 words.
• Speak in two-word phrases, like “More milk” or “Daddy go.”

How Can I Work on Speech Development with My Toddler?

Talking to, reading to, and playing with your toddler every day are all great ways to help them learn important speech skills.

Toddlers learn by watching and mimicking what adults around them do. Including them in your life and conversations helps their brains process new language information.

Language learning should not feel like a quiz show to our kids, but rather a shared experience that’s fun. We can invite them to participate with our emotions and happy/silly tones to increase their interest in talking without interrogating them.

Some ideas for talking with your toddler between 1 and 2 years of age include:

• Model carrier phrases rather than asking questions. For example, rather than asking “Where’s your nose?” try modeling a carrier phrase such as, “This is my…” and pointing to your nose. Wait several seconds, and if your child doesn’t fill in the target word, you say “Nose,” and move on to “Ears.” You can model carrier phrases for objects, pictures, and even people.
• Narrate your day and explain what you’re doing and where you’re going. For example: “We are going to the grocery store,” or “You are eating a banana.”
• Read books, tell stories, and sing to them often.
• Respond to them when they make noises. Look them in the eyes and talk back to them or imitate the sound they created.
• Share gestures for them to copy, such as blowing a kiss, waving goodbye, and clapping.
• Share sounds from daily life for them to imitate, such as “v-v-v-v” for a car vroom or “b-b-b-b” for bubbles in the bath.
• Speak clearly and slowly so they can hear you and copy your behavior.
• Talk to, laugh, and make silly faces with them every day.
• Teach the sounds animals make, such as “A cat says ‘meow.’”

Helpful ideas for talking with your toddler at 2 years of age include:

• Practice speaking in all of the languages of your household if it’s multilingual. Multilingual learning will not cause language delays.
• Practice giving them two-step instructions. For example: “Grab the toy and put it back on the shelf, please.”
• Read picture books to them. Talk about the pictures on each page or model a carrier phase, such as “This is a…” as you point to specific things on the page.
• Talk to them as you go about your day with them. On a walk, point out wildlife, nature, and objects. Name the items with descriptions, such as “I see a bird. The bird is blue. The bird goes ‘chirp, chirp.’” Tell them stories about what you have been up to with them.

When Should I Seek a Speech-Language Pathologist?

Developmental milestones provide a guideline for speech and language. You can keep the guidelines in mind to have an idea of whether you should see a speech therapist.

Here are some potential signs your child needs speech therapy.

By age 1

• Few or no gestures (waving, pointing).
• Limited babbling or making noises.

By age 2

• Difficulty combining two words.
• Short responses to questions or limited sounds and words.
• Understanding and speaking fewer than 50 words.

By age 3

• Still speaking only in short sentences.
• Articulation (saying words) is hard to understand.
• Difficulty answering basic questions, such as “Who is this?” and “Where are we?”

For many parents, a gut instinct is the first sign that their child has a speech delay. Spending time around other kids the same age as your child can also help with exposure to different milestones.

In some rarer cases, a language delay is a symptom of a larger developmental issue, such as hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or other cognitive delays.

It’s important to note any other concerning symptoms you notice in your toddler, such as if they:

• Act as if they are in their own world and don’t play with other children.
• Are fixated on certain items that aren’t toys for children (such as a flashlight, tool, or pen).
• Can’t return a happy smile to you.
• Don’t seem to notice certain noises, such as you calling their name.
• Don’t seem to notice you’re in the room.
• Don’t seem to feel pain or be afraid of anything.
• Have trouble using words to vocalize their needs.
• Stop doing things or talking and making noises like they used to.

You should discuss concerning behaviors with your child’s health care provider. These characteristics may not mean something serious. But it’s important to be aware of them as your toddler grows.

Some speech problems will resolve on their own without the need for professional intervention. But early treatment of more serious disorders can be vital to facilitating long-term language growth.

What should I expect of my child’s doctor?

At your child’s doctor’s office, you can expect:

• A hearing test to detect any hearing loss or impairment.
• A questionnaire where you can list all your child’s symptoms and any concerns you have.
• A referral to a pediatric speech-language pathologist, if they think this therapy could help your child.
• Discussion of early intervention programs. These provide essential skill services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
• Your pediatrician to interact with your child in different ways. This will help them better understand your child’s reactions and development.

If you see a specialized speech-language pathologist, they’ll evaluate your child’s expressive and receptive language skills and/or articulation skills. They’ll use various tests to determine what types of therapy would benefit your child. These therapy sessions may be visits at home or in person at a doctor’s office or clinic.

If your child’s provider has concerns about a potentially larger issue, they’ll refer you to specialists. They can help with diagnosing and creating a treatment or management plan.

What Should I Expect During Speech Therapy Sessions?

You may be nervous about your child’s first speech therapy session. You may think that needing a speech-language pathologist means you are a bad parent or you’ve done something wrong.

First off, it’s important to acknowledge your feelings. Needing professional help with your child can bring up feelings of unworthiness, shame, embarrassment, or fear. But you are a good parent, and developmental delays don’t reflect on you or your parenting — or on your child!

A speech-language pathologist is just another helpful tool you can use to help support your child and their individual needs. Here’s what you can expect:

• You can be in the room with your child and the speech-language pathologist. In the first session, your child’s speech therapist may start slowly and work on getting to know your family while observing your child.
• They’ll review your child’s speech goals and concerns. They’ll also ask your toddler questions or prompt them to speak.
• You can expect them to assign some homework for your family to work on between sessions.
• During future sessions, you can expect your child’s speech-language pathologist to model certain behaviors. They’ll work to get your child to join or imitate them.
• They may also ask you to interact with your child and provide some coaching or tips.
• Then your speech-language pathologist will discuss how you can continue working on these skills at home.

Toddlers learn best when they get to repeat patterns. Practicing your toddler’s speech homework with them for 15 to 20 minutes a day is a great way to expose them to repeated behaviors, sounds, words, and movements.

With time, patience, support, and encouragement, your toddler should be learning and practicing their new language skills. Remember, you care about your child and aren’t doing anything wrong.

Continue loving your toddler and learning with them. Don’t be afraid to reach out for support or talk with a mental health specialist about how you’re coping.