It is natural to be delighted by and want to encourage your toddler’s first conversations, even when you hear something out of the ordinary. Some delays or speech disorders are very common in the under-threes, as we’ve discussed elsewhere on this Unii Journey, but it's still important to seek professional help if problems persist.

Diagnosing a toddler’s speech disorder or delay

As with all baby- and child-health-related problems, your paediatrician or GP should be your first point of contact. They can assess whether your child is hitting those language development milestones and may refer you to a speech-language pathologist for more help. During an evaluation, a pathologist would usually check your child’s language skills with a formal assessment or informal observation. They take any neurological differences, fine and gross motor issues, sensory processes, and hearing difficulties into account, as well as look at muscle tone and oral structures that may be affecting your child’s language development.

They will also seek to rule out anything else that could contribute to a speech or language delay. Using a conceptual framework and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the physical-sensory, social-emotional, and cognitive-linguistic domains is essential and will direct the course of treatment for your child.

Treating a toddler’s speech disorder or delay

Once your child is diagnosed, the course of treatment will involve your careful cooperation.

Simply educating parents on effective communication strategies and explaining how they can support their child’s language development can be an important part of treating a speech disorder or delay.

You may need to modify your toddler’s environment to make it more language-rich, as we’ve discussed so frequently on Unii’s Toddler Speech Journey. Even simple visual cues like pictures or gestures can help your child’s communication.

Speech therapy may be another treatment option. During sessions, a speech-language pathologist will work with your child on their language skills and communication. They have lots of techniques and tools they can tailor to your child’s specific needs in a way that both improves their issues and helps them enjoy the process.

Some toddlers require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, such as communication boards or electronic devices, to help them communicate more effectively. They can be particularly helpful for children who struggle verbally as a result of certain developmental or neurological disorders. You may like to check whether a Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT)-trained therapist can help your child learn and develop beyond these devices.

Your toddler may need a hearing aid or cochlear implant to help them with hearing loss and any associated language problems. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan, and your toddler’s disorder or delay, while likely common, is unique to them.

What do I need to know about diagnosis and treatment of toddlers’ speech disorders?

For our Toddler Speech Journey, Unii looks at diagnosing and treating common speech disorders.