Toddler Speech Problems

The first sign that a child may have a speech problem is most often when a parent has concerns. Generally the parent will speak with the child's physician to see if a referral is warranted. There are times when a physician doesn't take the concern seriously and says the child may just be a "late talker." While there are parents that may be overly worried and obsessed about the milestone ranges, there are also parents with legitimate concerns that may be getting overlooked.

"With everything we know about the benefits of early intervention, with all the programs available for early intervention, it's a crime to let the gap between a child's chronological age and his speech/language skills to continue to widen until he enters school," says Harrison.