Is my child’s speech delay normal?

 

If you've noticed one or more of these warning signs in your child, it’s important that you contact us right away to ensure that they receive the help they need:

 

• By 12 months

  • doesn’t use gestures like waving “bye bye” or shaking head for “no”

  • doesn’t respond to their name

  • doesn’t communicate in some way when they need help with something

• By 15 months

  • doesn't understand and respond to words like "no" and "up"

  • says no words

  • doesn't point to objects or pictures when asked “Where’s the...?

  • doesn’t point to things of interest as if to say “Look at that!”  and then look right at you

• By 18 months

  • doesn’t understand simple commands like "Don't touch"

  • isn’t using at least 20 single words like "Mommy" or "up"

  • doesn’t respond with a word or gesture to a question such as “What’s that? or “Where’s your shoe?”

  • can’t point to two or three major body parts such as head, nose, eyes, feet

• By 24 months

  • says fewer than 100 words

  • isn’t consistently joining two words together like "Daddy go" or “ shoes on”

  • doesn’t imitate actions or words

  • doesn’t pretend with toys, such as feeding doll or making toy man drive toy car

• By 30 months 

  • says fewer than 300 words

  • isn’t using action words like “run”, “eat”, “fall”

  • isn’t using some adult grammar, such as “two babies” and “doggie sleeping”

• By 3-4 years

  • isn’t using action words like “run”, “eat”, “fall”

  • ​says fewer than 300 words

  • isn’t using some adult grammar, such as “two babies” and “doggie sleeping”