How to Teach Your Toddler to Talk
What if your toddler isn't talking? Learn about speech delay and how to help your little one!
If you are reading this article, you are probably one of the many parents that are worried about your little one's development! You are probably asking yourself: "Is there anything wrong? What should I do differently?" First, realize that:
1. It's not your fault! Continue reading to get all the information you need.
2. You are on the right track to answering your worries. In fact, we have the tools to help your little one talk!
3. You are not alone. We have helped thousands of parents. Our assessment tool for speech delay has been the first point of information for over 5 million parents! Read on to find out how!
What is this assessment?
This assessment is a great tool for worried parents like you because it was created by speech therapists! This is huge! It helps you check the most important areas of speech and language development: talking, hearing, pragmatics, comprehension, and play.
What is speech delay in toddlers?
You may think: Every child is different! How can we even know if a child has a speech delay when milestones are just numbers and ranges?
'Speech delay' means that a child will reach his/her milestones, but not at the same rate as his peers. It is a common developmental problem that as many as 10% of preschool kids have! Boys are more likely to be late talkers, but researchers don’t really know why.
Children are different and develop at their own rate. So being a little late doesn’t necessarily mean a serious problem. But still, why wait-and-see, when you can check-and-see?
How to help your child learn more words?
We believe that any worried parent should contact a professional, but if you are not sure, then this assessment can help you decide your next steps, and even offer some tips to boost your child’s speech at home.
You can do a lot at home, in the meantime. In fact, if you do end up in speech therapy (which is nothing to beat yourself up about), speech therapists will probably suggest doing some activities at home too! And that’s where we have you covered.
We created a speech therapy app for parents just like you, who are looking for ways to increase their child's word production. It is play-based and uses video modeling to encourage your little one to talk more, learn about emotions, and start communicating more confidently.
What is speech delay in toddlers?
You may think: Every child is different! How can we even know if a child has a speech delay when milestones are just numbers and ranges?
'Speech delay' means that a child will reach his/her milestones, but not at the same rate as his peers. It is a common developmental problem that as many as 10% of preschool kids have! Boys are more likely to be late talkers, but researchers don’t really know why.
Children are different and develop at their own rate. So being a little late doesn’t necessarily mean a serious problem. But still, why wait-and-see, when you can check-and-see?
How to help your child learn more words?
We believe that any worried parent should contact a professional, but if you are not sure, then this assessment can help you decide your next steps, and even offer some tips to boost your child’s speech at home.
You can do a lot at home, in the meantime. In fact, if you do end up in speech therapy (which is nothing to beat yourself up about), speech therapists will probably suggest doing some activities at home too! And that’s where we have you covered.
We created a speech therapy app for parents just like you, who are looking for ways to increase their child's word production. It is play-based and uses video modeling to encourage your little one to talk more, learn about emotions, and start communicating more confidently.
What can cause a speech delay?
Good question! It requires a more complicated answer, though.
As we already said, every child is different, and we don’t want to scare you. Our assessment tool is designed by speech therapists – you’ll be able to check the milestones, and get tips on how to work on speech and language at home. Causes can be physical (like oral-motor issues, hearing), genetic, developmental, or neurological. That’s why you should have some tests done by a speech therapist!
What are the steps to take if you notice speech delay in your toddler?
1. Don’t panic, but also don’t wait. Take the assessment we prepared with our speech therapists. It will inform you about typical milestones, and other important signs to look for. For example, gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication, hearing, imitation skills, play development, etc.
2. Get a referral for a speech therapist. This may take some time, but be persistent, listen to your gut, and remember that it's no one‘s fault! Your child will improve, they may just need a bit of help!
3. Try our speech therapy app! It is a fun and engaging way to help kids produce sounds, words, and sentences. Your little one will learn about animals, emotions, and numbers in a play-based way. The app is designed in a way that encourages their speech: some activities use speech recognition and use your voice to complete it and go to the next level!
What are the steps to take if you notice speech delay in your toddler?
1. Don’t panic, but also don’t wait. Take the assessment we prepared with our speech therapists. It will inform you about typical milestones, and other important signs to look for. For example, gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication, hearing, imitation skills, play development, etc.
2. Get a referral for a speech therapist. This may take some time, but be persistent, listen to your gut, and remember that it's no one‘s fault! Your child will improve, they may just need a bit of help!
3. Try our speech therapy app! It is a fun and engaging way to help kids produce sounds, words, and sentences. Your little one will learn about animals, emotions, and numbers in a play-based way. The app is designed in a way that encourages their speech: some activities use speech recognition and use your voice to complete it and go to the next level!
Parents also ask:
How can I get my child to talk?
Kids learn a language with repetition. Make sure to repeat words to your child in different ways and contexts: sing a song, read a book, use a fun app! Speech Blubs app is the #1 speech learning app and you can try it for free.
Also try: pointing to pictures and naming things, narrating your day, having a daily reading routine, giving your child choices (do they want blue or yellow t-shirt) … these are some of the most common techniques and we have loads more on our blog! Remember: repetition is key!
At what age should you worry about a child not talking?
Kids usually say their first word at around 12 months. Babies babble first, like bababaaa, mammaamaaaama, or dddaaadaaa. Animal sounds are also a fun way for them to start producing sounds. If your child is not babbling by 15 months or hasn’t said their first word by 18 months, seek out help from a speech therapist. Make sure to observe your kiddo and voice any concerns you have to your pediatrician! Take our assessment to get to know the milestones better!
My 3-year-old is not talking but understands all I say - What to do?
Language consists of two parts – the words we can say (expressive language) and the words we understand (receptive language). By 3-years-old, a child should be able to speak in sentences, even if they are not understood 100% of the time. Seek out help from a speech therapist. Take our assessment to get more tips for activities at home. Try our speech therapy app for fun speech therapy games you can play with your little one.
Are late talkers more intelligent?
Albert Einstein was a late talker, and he started talking at 4-years-old. The name ‘Einstein Syndrome’ was coined in the ‘90s to describe a child with a speech delay, but also with outstanding analytical skills and memory retention. That being said, no one knows the future of your child. But we do know that early intervention is crucial even for the brightest kids, to catch up to their peers in their language skills, and so they don’t carry any issues to a later time when they will need to learn how to read and write!
Can a toddler have a speech delay and not be autistic?
Yes, speech delay can be a completely separate issue. Some kids on the spectrum do have speech and language delays, but when diagnosing autism, a developmental pediatrician will look at a lot of other signs too! Autism is a complex neurological disorder, and every child is different! Consult your pediatrician, and get a referral for an autism evaluation.
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My 3-year-old is not talking but understands all I say - What to do?
Language consists of two parts – the words we can say (expressive language) and the words we understand (receptive language). By 3-years-old, a child should be able to speak in sentences, even if they are not understood 100% of the time. Seek out help from a speech therapist. Take our assessment to get more tips for activities at home. Try our speech therapy app for fun speech therapy games you can play with your little one.
How can I get my child to talk?
Kids learn a language with repetition. There are many things you can do at home to repeat words with your little one! Speech Blubs app is one of them, and you can try it for free. Also try: pointing to pictures and naming things, narrating your day, having a daily reading routine, giving your child choices (do they want blue or yellow t-shirt) … these are some of the most common techniques and we have loads more on our blog! Remember: repetition is key
Are late talkers more intelligent?
Albert Einstein was a late talker, and he started talking at 4-years-old. The name ‘Einstein Syndrome’ was coined in the ‘90s to describe a child with a speech delay, but also with outstanding analytical skills and memory retention. That being said, no one knows the future of your child. But we do know that early intervention is crucial even for the brightest kids, to catch up to their peers in their language skills, and so they don’t carry any issues to a later time when they will need to learn how to read and write!
Can a toddler have a speech delay and not be autistic?
Yes, speech delay can be a completely separate issue. Some kids on the spectrum do have speech and language delays, but when diagnosing autism, a developmental pediatrician will look at a lot of other signs too! Autism is a complex neurological disorder, and every child is different! Consult your pediatrician, and get a referral for an autism evaluation.
©2021 Blub Blub Inc. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service