When should you see a speech therapist for your child?

Parents often wait, hoping a child will grow out of a speech or language difference. Sometimes they do. But both ASHA and the CDC have moved away from a wait-and-see stance, because earlier support tends to work better. You do not have to be certain something is wrong to ask for help.

Some signs are tied to age. By around 12 months, watch for a child who is not babbling, not using gestures like waving or pointing, and not responding to their own name. By 18 months, few or no words and little attempt to copy what they hear are worth a conversation.

By age 2, signs include using very few words and not yet combining two words together. By age 3, the flags are being hard to understand even for people who know your child well, and trouble playing or talking with other children.

A few signs matter at any age. Losing skills your child once had is one of the most important; report it promptly. So is stuttering that lasts more than six months, especially with visible tension or struggle. Trouble following simple directions, or no reaction to sounds, can also point to a hearing or language issue worth checking.

Here is the part that lowers the stakes. An evaluation is done by a speech-language pathologist, and it is a separate step from treatment. Being evaluated does not commit you to anything. For children under three, you can often get a free evaluation through your state's early intervention program, and you usually do not need a doctor's referral to request it. For children three and older, the public school system evaluates at no cost on written request.

So if one of these signs rings true, the next move is small and low-risk: ask for an evaluation. The worst case is reassurance. The best case is help that arrives early, when it does the most good.