Signs of a
Language Disorder
Does not smile or interact with
others (birth and older)
Does not babble (4-7 months)
Makes only a few sounds or
gestures, like pointing (7-12
months)
Does not understand what others
say (7 months-2 years)
Says only a few words (12-18
months)
Listen and respond to your child
What Parents Can Do
Children Signs of
Stuttering (Disfluency)
Talk, read, and play with your
child Repeats first sounds of words —
“b-b-b-ball” for “ball”
Talk with your child in the lan-
guage you are most comfortable
using Speech breaks while trying to
say a word — “—–boy” for
“boy”
Know it is good to teach your
child to speak a second language
Talk about what you are doing
and what your child is doing
Use a lot of different words with
your child
Words are not easily understood
(18 months-2 years) Use longer sentences as your
child gets older
Does not put words together to
make sentences (1.5-3 years) Have your child play with other
children
Has trouble playing and talking
with other children (2-3 years) Signs of a Speech
Sound Disorder
Has trouble with early reading
and writing skills* (2.5-3 years)
*Early reading and writing skills
include:
8 months–1 year: Likes to hear you
talk and read; looks at pictures in books
when you read
1–2 years: Makes sounds or words
when looking at pictures in books;
points or touches pictures in books when
you name them; turns pages in books
2–3 years: Knows that books have
a front and back; enjoys books that have
rhymes; points to and names many pic-
tures in books
Says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly
in words (1-2 years)
Says k, g, f, t, d, and n incor-
rectly in words (2-3 years)
Produces speech that is unclear,
even to familiar people (2-3
years)
What Parents Can Do
Say the sounds correctly when
you talk — it is okay if your child
makes some mistakes with sounds
Do not correct speech sounds —
it is more important to let your
child keep talking
Stretches sounds out — “ffffff-
farm” for “farm”
Shows frustration when trying to
get words out
What Parents Can Do
Give your child time to talk
Do not interrupt, stop, or tell
your child to slow down while
they are speaking
See a certified speech-language
pathologist if you are concerned
Signs of Hearing Loss
Lack of attention to sounds
(birth-1 year)
Does not respond when you call
his/her name (7 months-1 year)
Does not follow simple direc-
tions (1-2 years)
Shows delays in speech and
language development (birth-3
years)
Pulls or scratches at his/her ears
Difficulty achieving academi-
cally, especially in reading and
math
Socially isolated and unhappy in
school
Persistent ear discomfort after
exposure to loud noise (regular
and constant listening to elec-
tronics at high volumes)
What Parents Can Do
See an audiologist if your child
did not pass the newborn hearing
screening
See an audiologist if you have
any concerns about your child’s
hearing (some hearing losses can
begin months or years after birth)
Ask your audiologist about the
need for hearing aids or cochlear
implants
July 2019 WNY Family 33