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Every child develops speech and language skills at a different rate. How do you know if your child is just a slow talker, or if he or she needs some help from a speech-language pathologist?
These are red flags for communications concerns:
• Does not startle or respond to loud sounds
• Does not vocalize when excited or upset
• Does not calm down when hears a familiar voice
• Does not use sounds to get your attention
• At 12 months, does not babble using the sounds p/b/m or is not able to follow several simple commands such as “give it,” “come here,” “sit down”
• At 15 months, does not recognize names of familiar items
• At 18 months, does not begin to say first words, does not keep adding words
• At age 2, is not increasing the variety of sounds being used, or communicates mostly by grunting and pointing or pulling, or “loses” words previously used
Research indicates that early,
intensive intervention can have a profound impact on the quality of life for
both children at risk and their families.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech of language development, contact the speech-language therapists at the Abilities Center, 248.926.0909. Our staff has experience with children of all ages and ability levels. An additional source for speech and language information is American Speech Language Hearing Association at www.ASHA.org.
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