Most parents worry if their child’s speech and language are developing according to the standard milestones. It could be late development, autism, being anxious, or a number of other reasons, intervention can be very beneficial.

ASHA 2019 President Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP, said. “While it is encouraging that parents across the board reported that they often seek help from our professionals and see their children’s communication health improve significantly with treatment, the polling also found that more than one quarter of parents with concerns hadn’t sought treatment. This is far too many when it comes to communication health, something parents themselves strongly agreed is important to their children’s well-being. Since communication disorders are highly treatable, this is an especially unfortunate missed opportunity for those children.”

Can Your Child Benefit From A Speech Therapist?

You or close relatives have difficulty understanding your child

The parents of a toddlers 18 months to 2 years old, should be able to understand what they are saying. Along with anyone who spends a notable time with your child. If you or those close to your toddler have a difficult time understanding them at this stage, a speech therapist can help.

Your toddler has trouble combining a pair of words

A child should be able to combine 2 words together by age 2. Typically, this is demonstrated as the toddler expresses affection and when they want something. For instance, “love kitty”, “my toy’, and “pick up”. These combinations are in the initial stages of forming sentences. If your child hasn’t mastered this by age 2, they may need a speech pathologist.

Your child is struggling with certain sounds at 4 years old

Children ages 3 and 4 should be able to say hard and soft sounds that can be understood. If your child is struggling with pronouncing sounds at age 4, a speech therapist can help.

If you are concerned your child is not meeting standard milestones, a speech therapist can help

First Words Speech Therapy offers personalized care to meet your child’s speech and language needs. As a mobile service provider, we are able to render therapy at the child’s home, daycare, charter/private school, or in the community.