You have noticed that your child does not appear to be developing speech as fast as other children you know. What should you know about your late talker? Is this just a normal variation in development of speech, is it a speech delay, or should you be thinking about autism? 

What does neurotypical speech development look like?

Neurotypical speech development in the first 3 years of life often takes a winding and highly varied path. It is very difficult to compare children as they all develop at their own pace. This means that children who develop skills months apart might still be considered to be developing “normally.” For instance, neurotypical children may begin to babble a single consonant like “ba” as early as 8 months and as late as 12 months. Your child might say “mama” or “dada” as early as 11 months or not until 14 months and still be developing speech around neurotypical timelines. 

When they learn to walk, your child may plateau with speech development to work out balance and movement. By 17 months, children are often able to answer simple questions by using gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication. By 23 months, your child will likely have 50 words that they can use to get things that they want as well as call attention to themselves or their interests. By 3 years old, your child’s communication skills are pretty amazing. They are using short sentences to comment, ask for things they want, protest when they are unhappy, draw your attention to what they are doing, and more. 

How can I tell when it’s a speech delay?

A speech delay, as the name implies, indicates that your child is developing most of the typical speech skills just a bit later than the neurotypical range. Most importantly, children with a speech delay will often use other strategies to get their needs known — using gestures like pointing or eye contact to get your attention. If you are concerned about a speech delay, there are some easy things you can do to help your child with communication.

Ways to help your child with communication

1. Turn off screens: Research shows that children who watch more screen time are more likely to develop a speech delay.

2. Read, talk, play, and sing with your child: Babies begin to recognize important sounds in their environment right away. As they become toddlers and preschoolers, they are sponges that soak up all the language you provide during your interactions. Talking to your child gives them a strong foundation for future speech development.

3. Use baby signs: Try some simple baby signs to help decrease frustration and increase your child’s ability to tell you what they want. Baby signs are simple gestures for everyday needs like “milk,” “more”, or “all done” that are often adapted from sign language but can be any gesture your child can do and you both understand.  

4. Use more visuals: Rather than just talking to your child, show them what you are talking about using the object, gestures, or pictures. Visuals help your child relate words to their real world.

5. Consider a speech evaluation: A speech evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of your child’s communication skills. It is completed by a  speech-language pathologist (SLP). During a speech evaluation, the SLP will assess a variety of speech related skills such as understanding of language (receptive language), use of spoken and non-verbal language (expressive language), and social use of language (language pragmatics). 

How can I tell when it’s autism?

Toddlers who are diagnosed with autism may or may not have a speech delay. We become alert to the possibility of autism when young children are not using the same social ways of telling you what they want or what they are interested in. For example, if you are holding a toy that your baby is interested in, neurotypical babies will look between you and the toy. An autistic baby may only look at the toy or seem to move their gaze away from your face. Often autistic toddlers do not respond to their name even though you know they can hear you. Additionally, autistic toddlers may not use common gestures like waving bye-bye or pointing to something they want or are interested in. Autistic toddlers tend to be less interested in games that require interactive play such as peek-a-boo.  

Other signs of autism might include:

  • Limited interests in toys or a repetitive way of playing with toys
  • Less interest in cooperative or imaginary play with other children
  • Your child has a just so way of doing things and has trouble tolerating doing them a different way.  
  • Differences in sensory regulation: Your child may register sensory information differently (e.g., can stare at bright lights for long periods) or may react strongly to senses that don’t bother most others (e.g., seems to find certain textures or tastes or sounds painful).  
  • Intense or prolonged meltdowns which may seem like tantrums over small things
  • Your child repeats the same body movement or movements often (e.g., moving hands in a certain way)

Steps to take if you are concerned about your child’s development

1. Utilize a screening tool

Avela Health offers free online autism screening tools that can help you inform your decision to pursue a formal diagnosis.

You can also ask your pediatrician for a M-CHAT. This is a great screening tool that can help you identify whether your child’s behavior may be related to autism.

2. Look for school support

If your child is over 3 years old, contact your school district to see if your child qualifies for services. They may qualify for a variety of reasons including a speech delay, autism, or developmental delay.  

3. Talk with a specialist

If your concerns are focused on communication skills — ask for a referral for a speech therapist.

If your concerns are focused on sensory and emotional regulation — ask for a referral to an occupational therapist.

4. Consider an autism evaluation

Consider a diagnostic evaluation. At Avela Health, we offer virtual and neurodiversity-affirming diagnostic evaluations. Contact us to get connected to a diagnostic professional. 

If your child receives an autism diagnosis, Avela Health’s flexible, family-centered model can provide you with support at every step of the way. Learn more about our approach.