Understanding Language Delay
Communicating with people in our lives is a natural part of human development and one of our most basic needs. Communication takes many forms, both verbal and non-verbal, and it begins at birth with a baby’s first cry.
Children do not learn to talk all by themselves. They learn language by listening to and interacting with others, and through involvement with their world. For some children, learning to communicate does not come easily. Sometimes the reason for these difficulties is obvious; other times it is less clear.
Should you be worried about your child’s language development?
Most children’s language development follows a similar path. Some learn faster than others. However, one in ten children has difficulty learning to communicate and is slow to talk.
Use the milestones checklist to see whether your child is doing most of the things expected for her/his age. If you are concerned, don’t wait! The earlier a child gets help, the better!
Seek out a referral to a speech-language pathologist/therapist. If your child’s development is delayed, the speech-language pathologist will help you learn how to promote your child’s communication development during everyday activities and conversations.
The following are red flags for language delay that should never be ignored:
- not pointing or using gestures like “bye bye” by 12 months
- not babbling by 12 to 15 months
- not understanding simple commands by 18 months
- not using words by 18 months
- not using short phrases by two years
- not using sentences by three years
- not being able to tell a simple story by four or five years
Early Intervention
The Hanen Centre acknowledges the importance of early intervention and involving parents. We have developed a number of programs to help parents and those who care for and work with young children with language delays learn to foster the communication and social skills of these children to give them the greatest chance of reaching their potential.
"Warning signs" of a possible language delay can be detected even in infants and very young children. Early intervention is CRUCIAL!