Speech Delay in Children — Help for Menifee Families
A speech delay means your child is developing communication skills more slowly than expected. It’s one of the most common developmental concerns parents bring to us, and the good news is early intervention works.
Signs of a Speech Delay
- • Not babbling by 12 months
- • Fewer than 20 words by 18 months
- • Not combining two words by age 2
- • Still hard to understand at age 3
- • Frustrated when trying to communicate
What Causes Speech Delay?
Speech delays can stem from many causes: oral-motor issues (weakness in the muscles used for speech), hearing loss, developmental disorders like autism, or simply a slower maturation of the speech centers in the brain. In many cases, the cause is unknown. What matters is that help is available.
Speech Delay vs. Language Delay
A speech delay refers specifically to difficulty producing speech sounds. A language delay refers to difficulty understanding others (receptive language) or expressing thoughts (expressive language). A child can have one or both. A thorough evaluation identifies exactly where the breakdown is occurring.
How Speech Therapy Helps
Through play-based activities, modeling, repetition, and parent coaching, speech therapy helps children build the foundation for clear, confident communication. We work on sounds, words, sentence structure, and the social use of language — all within activities your child already enjoys.
Concerned Your Child Might Have a Speech Delay?
A free phone screen can tell you if an evaluation makes sense.
Request Free Screen