Evaluations

When and How to Know If You Should Be Concerned About Your Child’s Speech and Language Skills

Being a parent comes with constant challenges, worries, and concerns. Thinking that your child is having issues understanding language or speaking their needs is not something that any parent wishes for their child. I am here to help you better understand what to look out for and ultimately figure out if your child needs speech-language therapy services.

I work with children of all ages and have expertise in speech & language development from birth through adolescence.  I most commonly begin speech & language therapy at 18 months old.  However if parents, pediatricians, or caregivers have concerns before 18 months a consultation and/or evaluation is recommended. Early intervention (therapy) has the best prognosis and outcome.

*Please note I am only set up to perform evaluations in person at this time.

 What should you look out for that may be a precursor to needing speech & language therapy with a preschooler?

Here are some helpful questions to ask if you are having concerns about your child’s speech and language skills. If your answer to these is no - don’t freak out. There could be a multitude of reasons why your child isn’t progressing in their language. I am here for help, support, and guidance.

• Is your child missing communication milestones (speaking in words, phrases, sentences)?

  • Is your child producing 3-5 word sentences?

• Do you or other people have difficulty understanding your child’s speech?

  • Do people understand ~75% of what they are saying (3 out of 4 words)

• Does your child have difficulty following directions?

• Is it challenging for your child to retell a previous event or a simple story?

• Does your child make grammatical errors /or sound younger than their peers when talking?

• Is play, conversation, &/or turn-taking difficult for your child?