What Are Some Signs Of Delayed Speech Development?

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether your child’s speech is developing correctly or if they need therapy.

Here are some signs that your child’s speech development is delayed. 

The Child Does Not Get Startled By Sounds

Most of the time, a child’s hearing is tested as soon as they are born.  However, if you are noticing signs that your child is not freaking out with larger sounds, this may be a sign of a development issue that needs to be brought to the attention of the pediatrician.  

There’s No Eye Contact

When you talk to your baby, you’re going to want to make sure that they are looking at your face and making eye contact with you.  Baby’s generally learn by looking at your face almost studying you when you talk.  If you notice that your baby does not look at you when you are speaking, this could be signs of a hearing issue developing.  

No Babbling In Coming Months

In those first few months, you can start to hear the different vocal developments that your child is making.  Babies imitate the sounds that you make and if you do not start to notice a change in the way that they babble, it may be time to get an evaluation.  

No Words By 20 Months

Another big concern is if you do not hear any words by 20 months.  Timelines for speech usually vary depending on the child, but there are certain benchmarks that you ultimately want to aim for.  The first words will usually come by the 10-month mark and there should be a variety of words in the vocabulary of your child by the time they hit 20 months.  If there is not, you should reach out to San Gabriel Valley Speech Therapy for personalized help and an individualized treatment plan.  

No Words Together By 2 ½ Years Old

Another red flag in speech being delayed is when your child does not use two words together by the time they get to 2 ½ years old.  A speech delay such as this should be taken seriously and you should seek speech therapy from San Gabriel Valley Speech Therapy.