Signs Your Child May Need Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can be extremely beneficial for children who are falling behind in their speech and language development. It can help your child work on skills such as learning how to form sounds correctly, work on strengthening their speaking muscles, and so much more.

Though it’s true that speech therapy can help a child with their speech and language development skills, many parents don’t realize that their child may be falling behind, and that working with a speech therapist can help them reach their goals. If you’re concerned that your child is falling behind but aren’t sure what to look for, we can help!

Here are some signs that your child may need speech therapy:

Children Aged 1-2 Years Old:

Your child...

  • Doesn’t use gestures
  • Hasn’t said their first word
  • Has a hard time putting two words together
  • Points to items that they want instead of asking for them
  • Doesn’t try to imitate basic words

Children Aged 2-3 Years Old:

Your child...

  • Can’t put together three-word phrases
  • Has a hard time following simple instructions
  • Has issues making specific letter sounds (such as b, d, f, g, h, k, m, p, and t)
  • Doesn’t say basic pronouns
  • Has trouble communicating with other children their age

Children Aged 3-4 Years Old:

Your child...

  • Doesn’t speak in sentences
  • Can’t answer basic questions
  • Has unintelligible speech
  • Can’t identify colors
  • Doesn’t express their feelings

If you find that your child is falling behind in their speech and language development, please feel free to contact us to talk to an SLP in Chicago. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you may have, and can help you decide if speech therapy is right for your child.