Parents often hear the phrase, “Every child develops at their own pace.” While this is certainly true, it can make it difficult to know when a child’s speech and language development is simply progressing a little differently and when it may be time to seek additional support.
If your toddler isn’t talking as much as other children their age, you may find yourself wondering: Is my child just a late talker, or could this be a speech or language delay?
There isn’t always a simple answer. Children develop communication skills differently, and the number of words a child says is only one piece of the picture. How a child understands language, uses gestures, interacts with others, combines words, and attempts to communicate can all provide valuable information about their development.
At BK Kids Pediatric Therapy in Joliet, IL, our Speech-Language Pathologists help families better understand their child’s communication development and determine whether Speech Therapy may be beneficial.
What Is a Late Talker?
The term late talker is commonly used to describe a young child who is developing normally in many areas but has a smaller spoken vocabulary than expected for their age.
These children may understand much more than they can verbally express. For example, a child might follow familiar directions, point to requested objects, engage in play, use gestures, and clearly understand everyday conversations while still using relatively few spoken words.
Some late talkers eventually catch up to their peers without significant intervention. Others continue to experience challenges with speech or language as they grow.
This is one reason it’s important to look at the child’s overall communication development, rather than relying on a single milestone or word count.
Speech and Language Are Not the Same Thing
Parents often use the terms “speech” and “language” interchangeably, but they refer to different aspects of communication.
Speech is the physical production of sounds and words. A child with a speech sound difficulty may know exactly what they want to say but have difficulty producing certain sounds clearly.
Language involves understanding and using words to communicate ideas.
Language includes two major areas:
Receptive language refers to what a child understands.
Expressive language refers to how a child communicates their thoughts, wants, needs, and ideas.
A child may have difficulty in one area or several areas at the same time. A Speech-Language Pathologist evaluates the broader communication picture to determine where support may be needed.
What Does Early Communication Development Look Like?
Long before children begin speaking in sentences, they are developing foundational communication skills.
Babies and toddlers learn to:
- Make eye contact and attend to others
- Respond to sounds and voices
- Babble and experiment with sounds
- Use facial expressions
- Point and gesture
- Imitate sounds and actions
- Take turns during interactions
- Understand familiar words
- Follow simple directions
- Use words intentionally
- Combine words into short phrases
These early skills create the foundation for later speech and language development.
Because development occurs along a continuum, Speech-Language Pathologists don’t evaluate children based on one isolated behavior. Instead, they look at patterns across multiple communication skills.
Signs Your Child May Benefit From a Speech Therapy Evaluation
Parents don’t need to wait until a child is significantly behind before asking questions.
A Speech Therapy evaluation may be worth considering if your child:
- Uses noticeably fewer words than other children of a similar age
- Rarely attempts to imitate words or sounds
- Becomes frustrated when trying to communicate
- Relies heavily on pointing, pulling an adult’s hand, or gestures instead of words
- Has difficulty combining words into phrases
- Has difficulty understanding everyday directions
- Does not consistently respond to spoken language
- Has difficulty answering simple questions
- Is difficult for familiar or unfamiliar listeners to understand
- Has lost communication skills they previously demonstrated
- Has difficulty participating in back-and-forth interactions
Not every child displaying one of these signs has a speech or language disorder. However, these observations can provide a good reason to discuss your concerns with a qualified professional.
“But My Child Understands Everything”
This is something Speech-Language Pathologists hear frequently.
A toddler may understand where their shoes are, know when it’s time for dinner, follow familiar household routines, and respond appropriately when a parent says, “Let’s go outside.”
Strong receptive language is encouraging, but it doesn’t necessarily mean expressive language difficulties should be ignored.
Understanding language and expressing language are related but distinct skills. A child can demonstrate strong understanding while still needing help developing vocabulary, combining words, producing speech sounds, or communicating more effectively.
Does Using Gestures Mean My Child Doesn’t Need to Talk?
Gestures are actually an important part of early communication.
Pointing, waving, reaching, nodding, and using facial expressions demonstrate that a child understands that communication can influence another person.
Parents sometimes worry that allowing a child to gesture will discourage talking. In general, you don’t need to stop your child from using gestures.
Instead, pair the gesture with language.
If your child points toward their cup, you might say:
“Cup! You want your cup.”
If they reach toward a snack, you might model:
“More crackers.”
This provides a simple verbal model connected to something meaningful in that moment.
Why Does My Child Get So Frustrated When Trying to Communicate?
Imagine knowing exactly what you want but being unable to communicate it effectively.
For some young children, this happens repeatedly throughout the day.
They may know which toy they want, want help opening something, want a sibling to stop, or desperately want a parent to understand what happened—but they don’t yet have the communication skills to express it.
This can sometimes result in:
- Crying
- Yelling
- Throwing
- Hitting
- Giving up
- Pulling adults toward objects
- Becoming upset when misunderstood
Speech Therapy can help children develop more effective ways to communicate their wants, needs, thoughts, and feelings.
How Can Parents Encourage Language Development at Home?
You don’t need to turn your home into a therapy clinic.
Some of the best opportunities for language development happen naturally during everyday routines.
Narrate What Your Child Is Doing
Instead of constantly asking questions, occasionally describe what your child is doing.
If they’re pushing a toy car, you might say:
“Car goes fast!”
If they’re building a tower:
“Up, up, up…CRASH!”
Simple language is often easier for young children to process and imitate.
Expand What Your Child Says
If your child says:
“Dog.”
You might respond:
“Big dog!”
If they say:
“More.”
You could model:
“More bubbles!”
You’re showing them how to build slightly longer phrases without requiring them to repeat you.
Offer Choices
Instead of asking:
“What do you want?”
Try:
“Do you want milk or water?”
Choices provide children with language models while still giving them control over the interaction.
Read Together
Books provide repeated exposure to vocabulary, concepts, sentence structures, and storytelling.
You don’t have to read every word on every page. Talk about the pictures, make animal sounds, predict what will happen next, and allow your child to participate.
Follow Your Child’s Interests
Children are often more motivated to communicate when the topic is something they genuinely enjoy.
Cars, dinosaurs, bubbles, dolls, animals, playground equipment, favorite characters, and everyday household objects can all become opportunities for communication.
What Happens During a Pediatric Speech Therapy Evaluation?
A Speech-Language Pathologist evaluates much more than how many words a child can say.
Depending on the child’s age and concerns, an evaluation may examine areas such as:
- Receptive language
- Expressive language
- Speech sound production
- Vocabulary
- Play skills
- Social communication
- Oral-motor skills when appropriate
- Ability to follow directions
- Interaction and communication with others
The therapist will also gather information from parents because families provide an essential perspective on how a child communicates across everyday environments.
After the evaluation, the Speech-Language Pathologist can explain your child’s strengths, identify areas that may need additional support, and determine whether Speech Therapy is recommended.
Why Early Support Can Be Helpful
Communication affects nearly every part of childhood.
Children use language to ask for help, participate in play, develop friendships, learn in the classroom, tell stories, express emotions, and advocate for themselves.
Supporting communication development early can help strengthen the foundation children use as social and academic expectations become increasingly complex.
Seeking an evaluation doesn’t automatically mean your child will need long-term therapy. An evaluation provides information.
For many parents, simply having a clearer understanding of their child’s development can be valuable.
Pediatric Speech Therapy in Joliet, IL
If you’ve been wondering whether your child is a late talker or may have a speech delay, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
At BK Kids Pediatric Therapy, our Speech-Language Pathologists provide individualized, play-based Speech Therapy designed around each child’s strengths and needs.
We believe therapy should be engaging and meaningful. Children may work on communication while playing games, reading books, engaging in pretend play, interacting with toys, or even incorporating movement and activities within our sensory gym.
Our goal is to help children develop communication skills that carry over into everyday life—not simply perform skills during a therapy session.
BK Kids Pediatric Therapy is located in Joliet, Illinois, and serves families from Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood, New Lenox, Lockport, Romeoville, Minooka, Channahon, Morris, Bolingbrook, and surrounding communities.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech or language development, contact BK Kids Pediatric Therapy to learn more about scheduling a pediatric Speech Therapy evaluation.