How do I know if my child would benefit from a speech and language evaluation?

Dec 31

How Do I Know If My Child May Benefit From A Speech & Language Evaluation?

Here are SOME key developmental milestones that can indicate if your child may benefit from a speech and language evaluation:

At 12 months, if a child is not yet:

Babbling
Responding to their name
Using any gestures (reaching, waving)

At 15 months, if a child is not yet:

Saying any words
Using at least 3 consonants
Showing an understanding of common words and phrases

At 18 months, if a child is not yet:

Using at least 10 words
Following simple directions
Imitating simple actions and sound

At 24 months, if a child is not yet:

Using at least 50 words
Using at least 5 consonant sounds
Following 1-step directions

At 36 months, if a child is not yet:

Using words more than gesturing
Combined words for phrases
Able to follow directions with simple concepts
Using intelligible speech 50% of the time or more

Understanding Your Child's Milestones

If your child was born early, it is important to adjust for pre-maturity when looking at milestones. For example, if your child is 18 months but born 3 months early, use 15 month milestones until age 2!

Reminder: Just because you’re getting the evaluation does NOT mean that your child will qualify for services. It is truly better to check and see (with an evaluation) than wait and see.

This list is NOT an all-inclusive of all skills & milestones and is intended to be educational. This should not be used as a a replacement to rule out a speech-language evaluation!

ASHA Communication Milestones