Toddler Speech Problems

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, it's important to understand the common guidelines that are considered to be speech milestones to determine if a child is having a speech problem or delay. The approximate milestones outlined by ASHA include:

7 months – 1 year

A child this age should:

• Turn and look in the direction of a sound
• Listen when spoken to
• Recognize words for common items such as "cup" and "juice"
• Babble with long and short groups of sounds
• Imitate different speech sounds
• Have one or two words, although they may not be clear

1 – 2 years

By this age, the child should be able to:

• Point to a few body parts when asked
• Follow simple commands and understand simple questions
• Point to pictures in a book when named
• Say more words every month
• Use some one- to two-word questions
• Put two words together
• Use many different consonants and sounds of the beginnings of words

2 – 3 years

Between the ages of two and three, toddlers should be able to:

• Understand differences in meaning (go/stop, up/down, etc.)
• Follow two requests (get the book and put it on the table)
• Have a word for almost everything
• Use two- to three-word "sentences" to ask for things and talk about things
• Often names objects

3 – 4 years

By this age a child should have the ability to:

• Hear you when you call from another room
• Hear television or the radio at the same loudness level as other family members
• Understand simple questions (who, what, where, etc.)
• Talk about activities at school or a friend's house
• Be understood by people outside the family
• Talk without frequently repeating syllables or words