Speech Delays in Early Childhood: Warning Signs & When to Seek Help
When your child doesn’t seem to be talking like other children their age, it can bring up a lot of questions and worry. You may wonder if it’s just a phase, if you’re doing something “wrong,” or if it’s time to ask for help. Together, let’s walk through what’s typical, what might signal a concern, and how early support can make a meaningful difference.
At R&R Collaborative Therapy, our goal is to meet your family where you are—offering information, reassurance, and clear next steps so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
What Typical Early Speech and Language Development Looks Like
All children develop at their own pace, but there are common communication milestones most children reach around certain ages. The CDC describes milestones as skills that at least 75% of children are doing by that age. These are guides, not strict deadlines, but they help us see when a closer look may be helpful.
In the first years of life, we watch for progress in how a child:
Makes sounds and uses words
Understands what others say
Uses gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions
For example, by about 2 years, many children are beginning to put two words together, like “more milk” or “mommy go,” and are able to follow simple directions in familiar routines. Combining at least two words is an important milestone by age 2.
Early communication usually grows from cooing and babbling, to first words, and then to short phrases over the first few years. When we see steady growth along this path—even if your child is a little “late”—that can be reassuring. When skills are missing or seem to stall, it may be time for more support.
Early Red Flags for Speech Delays
No single sign tells the whole story, but speech-language pathologists look at patterns. Some possible red flags include:
Very limited sounds or babbling in the first year. Babies typically experiment with sounds. If your baby rarely coos or babbles, or seems unusually quiet, it’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician.
Few gestures or shared moments. Before words, children often point, reach, wave, or bring you objects to “show” you. If your toddler rarely points, doesn’t bring toys to share, or has limited eye contact, this may signal a concern in social communication.
Very few words around the second year. By the second year, many children are steadily adding new words and starting to put two words together. If your child has few or no words and doesn’t seem to be gaining new ones, an evaluation can be helpful.
Difficulty understanding what you say. Speech and language are not only about talking. If your child often seems confused by simple directions like “come here,” “give me the ball,” or “put it in,” even during familiar routines, they may be having trouble processing language.
Speech that is very hard to understand. It’s normal for toddlers to mispronounce words, and for outsiders to rely on you to “translate.” But if you usually struggle to understand your own child, that may signal a speech sound difficulty.
Loss of skills. If your child used to say words or use gestures and then stops, it’s important to reach out to your pediatrician right away. Regression—losing skills that were present before—is always a reason to seek prompt professional input.
Seeing one or more of these signs does not automatically mean your child has a disorder, but they are strong reasons to ask for guidance instead of waiting and worrying on your own.
When to Seek Professional Help
Parents often hear “let’s wait and see,” and sometimes that’s reasonable. Earlier support leads to better outcomes in communication, learning, and social skills. If you are concerned about your child’s speech or language, it is better to seek an evaluation than to delay.
It may be time to seek help if:
Your child is missing several age-expected milestones.
You feel a persistent “gut feeling” that something is different about their communication.
Your child seems very frustrated, using crying or behavior instead of words.
Caregivers or teachers are noticing similar concerns.
You do not need a diagnosis before asking for help. A speech and language evaluation is simply a way to understand your child more clearly and to decide together what kind of support, if any, would be most helpful.
If you are near Wichita or the Kansas City area, you can explore evaluations and ongoing support with our team at R&R Collaborative Therapy by visiting our Services page.
What to Expect from a Speech and Language Evaluation
An evaluation should feel thoughtful and child-centered, not intimidating. At R&R Collaborative Therapy, a licensed speech-language pathologist will typically:
Spend time playing with your child and observing how they use sounds, words, gestures, eye contact, and play skills.
Talk with you about your child’s history, strengths, and challenges, because you know your child best.
Use evidence-based tools or checklists to compare your child’s skills with typical age expectations.
When the evaluation is complete, you’ll walk through the results together in everyday language. If speech therapy is recommended, you’ll discuss goals and how support can fit into your routines. If broader questions about development come up, your child may be referred for more comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluations.
A key part of our approach is caregiver coaching. You’ll learn simple, practical strategies to use during everyday routines, mealtimes, play, bath time, and errands, so that progress doesn’t just happen in the therapy session, but throughout your child’s day.
If you are noticing possible warning signs or simply wondering whether your child’s speech and language are on track, you don’t have to navigate that uncertainty alone. You can reach out to our team through our Contact page to ask questions, schedule an evaluation, or learn more about how we can walk alongside you and your child.
