Would your child benefit from speech therapy?

All of the information on the internet can become overwhelming. Here are some tips to decide if your child would benefit from speech therapy!

Language based red flags:

Note the child who:

• Does not appear to understand when others speak, even though hearing is normal
• Is unable to follow 1 or 2 step directions
• Communicates primarily by pointing or gesturing
• Makes no attempt to communicate with words
• Has a small vocabulary for age
• Does echolalic-like speech (imitates what others say most of the time)
• Has difficulty putting words together in a sentence
• Uses words inaccurately (e.g., calls a “fire” a “burn”)

Articulation based red flags:

Note the child who:

• Whose speech is difficult to understand when compared to peers
• Who mispronounces sounds
• Whose mouth seems challenged (e.g., messy eater, drooling)
• Who has difficulty putting words and sounds in the proper sequence
• Who has a history of ear infections or middle ear disorder

Social-Emotional based red flags:

Note the child who:

• Does not refer to self as “I”
• Has difficulty separating from parent or separates too easily
• Seems preoccupied with own inner world; conversations do not make sense
• Shows little or no impulse control: hits or bites as first response; cannot follow a classroom routine
• Cannot focus on activities (short attention span, cannot complete anything)
• Consistently withdraws from people or prefers to be alone