Are You Concerned That Your Child Is a Late Talker?
All parents look forward to the time when their child starts talking. Sometimes, however, a child doesn’t start talking when expected to or starts talking later than expected. When this happens, children are often called “Late Talkers.” If this describes your child, you might be worried and looking for answers.
It is still not clear (even to experts) what being a Late Talker really means. And even the experts can’t predict which late talking children will continue to have language difficulties and which children will catch up to their peers.
How do I know if my child is a Late Talker?
A Late Talker is a toddler who is delayed in their use of words and word combinations (e.g. car gone), without having delays in any other area of development (e.g., motor skills, social skills, thinking and problem solving). A child who is a Late Talker may only have difficulty expressing themselves or they may also have mild difficulties understanding what others say to them.
While being a late talker is considered a risk factor for later language difficulties, it does
not necessarily mean that the
difficulties will continue for years
to come.
It is estimated that about 15% of toddlers are Late Talkers. While being a Late Talker is considered a risk factor for later language difficulties, it does not necessarily mean that the difficulties will continue for years to come.
Typically, a child is considered a Late Talker if, by age 2, they:
- Have fewer than 50 words (vocabulary may consist mostly of names of familiar people |
and objects); - Are not putting two words together or using short sentences (e.g., “mama sleep”, “car go”); and
- Are developing as expected in all other areas of development (social, motor, thinking and problem solving, etc.)
What can I do to help my child?
Research shows that children develop communication by engaging in fun back-and-forth interactions with the most important people in their lives – you, their parents and caregivers! But what exactly makes an interaction fun? And what can you do to keep that fun going to give your child the best opportunities to communicate and build their language skills?
Fun interactions start with Observing, Waiting and Listening (OWL™) within your everyday activities and routines. Let’s take a closer look at what this means. Imagine you and your child enjoy spending time together outside most days.
- Get face-to-face: Get down to your child’s level so you are close together and can see each other’s faces. This allows you to see the world through your child’s eyes.
- Observe: Watch your child silently and pay close attention to what they say or do. This will tell you what they’re interested in. When the dad in the image observes his child, he sees that his son is very interested in a friendly dog.
- Wait: When you wait quietly without talking, you give your child a chance to start the interaction and let you know what’s on their mind. When this dad waited, his child looked at him and pointed at the dog.
- Listen: Pay close attention to any sounds or words your child uses. This lets your child know that you are focused on what they are communicating to you. When this dad listened, he heard his child say, “woof!”
Then follow your child’s lead! This means responding promptly with interest to what your child has communicated. There are many ways to follow your child’s lead, which will encourage them to take more turns in your interactions. You could
:
- Respond with interest to what your child communicates – If you’re looking at a book and your child points to a picture of a monster and makes a sound, you can use an enthusiastic voice and say, “That’s a monster!”
- Copy what your child is doing – If your child makes a “grrrr” sound and points to the monster on the page, you can copy them by making the same sound and pointing to the picture. This is likely to keep their attention, and they may laugh, smile or send another message.
- Build playfully on what your child says or does – You can add an idea like “I wonder if the monster is hungry” and pretend to feed him. From here, a conversation could really take off!
When you Observe, Wait and Listen™ and Follow Your Child’s Lead, you set the stage for fun interactions that you’ll both want to continue – creating many opportunities for your child to learn from you and build their communication.
More resources to help
At The Hanen Centre, we develop resources that help you help your child. We have lots of free content, as well as guidebooks and programs, that show you how to engage your child in back-and-forth, enjoyable interactions that set the stage for language learning.
Here are some helpful links:
When You Are Concerned – Read more about communication milestones to look out for, and how Hanen can help.
Language Delay Resource Page – Explore tip sheets, articles, videos and more to help your child communicate.
Language-Building Tips – Sign up for tips to support your child’s learning at every stage of communication.
Consult a speech-language pathologist
If you’re concerned about your child’s communication development, trust your judgment and seek help! The best place to start is to consult a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who will assess your child’s communication skills and help you learn how to build your child’s communication skills during your everyday activities and interactions. This is the best way to make language learning a natural, ongoing process.
Learn more about the benefits of choosing a Hanen Certified SLP.
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Follow the Child’s Lead | Language Delay | Late Talker | OWL | Expressive Language