Child not talking? What to do next.

From my practical experience as a speech pathologist as well as looking at evidence- based research, I recommend the following steps for parents or caregivers who may be concerned about their child's development:

1. Discuss your concerns with your GP.

2. Make sure that to have your child's hearing tested as a hearing impairment can impact a child's speech and language development.

3. Contact a qualified speech pathologist to discuss any concerns you may be having about your child's development. This may include but not be limited to you noticing that they are not reaching their speech, language, literacy, play or communication milestones or if an adult that supports the child (e.g. teacher, educator, play leaders, child development workers or even family members) highlights this to you.

4. Be proactive and intervene early. Booking an assessment and starting treatment (if needed) while the child is young will help to deliver better therapy outcomes. I see clients as young as 2 years old so it is never too early to start.

5. Be aware of risk factors and take positive steps to support your child. Parents often wait to see if their child's development will naturally recover. Although a small percentage of children do recover naturally from delayed speech and language development or are late talkers, we cannot predict who will catch up on their own. There are factors which can suggest that the child is at risk for a continuing speech and language disorder. The Hanen Centre lists these risks factors in further detail. As you can see, there are several risk factors including but not limited to a family history of a speech and language delay, learning difficulty or developmental disabilities. Other risk factors include delayed understanding for their age, your child not being able to communicate their needs and wants through gestures or words, delayed play development or delayed social skills.

6. A speech pathologist can take a case history which is important in identifying the potential risk factors and will conduct a formal and/or informal assessments based on concerns you may have as well as the speech pathologist's own clinical observations. A speech pathologist will identify whether therapy is needed and what other supports may be needed. This can include but is not limited to referring your child to a developmental paediatrician, an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or psychologist.

As you can see, speech and language development is complex and it is always best to seek the advice of a qualified speech pathologist if you are having concerns. Tell us in the comments below if you found this post to be helpful.