A referral to a speech-language pathologist is appropriate when a child is having difficulty communicating his or her needs or expressing feelings or thoughts in a way that would be expected for his/her age.
To learn about the speech-language developmental milestones, see our Speech-Language Milestone sheet.
Babies make early vocalizations around 2-3 months, babbles around 6 months and uses jargon from about 18 months to 30 months. The majority of sounds a 3 year-old makes should be normal. Although he may not use all sounds correctly, he should be intelligible to strangers. Generally, a referral to a speech-language pathologist should be made if a child cannot be understood by caregivers or family by the age of 3 or cannot be understood by people they do not see regularly by the age of 4.
To view a chart that indicates the typical ages for speech sound development, please see our Speech Sound Development page.
Pediatric Speech Evaluation
A pediatric speech evaluation is performed by our Speech and Language Pathologist specializing in pediatric communication problems. You will be asked to fill out a history form detailing your child’s speech and language development. You will be interviewed by our clinician and your child’s behavior will be observed through playful interactions with the therapist. When possible, the child will participate in a Series of formal tests designed to identify areas or speech and language development that are delayed. A therapy plan is then determined and tailored to your child’s needs. Speech therapy sessions are offered starting at 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by special request.