Speech delay

Signs often appear in infancy or early childhood. If expected sounds, single words or two‑word combinations are clearly missing for the child’s age, discuss concerns with your child’s doctor. Exact timing varies between children, so professional review is appropriate when you are worried.

Start with your child’s paediatrician or family physician. They can arrange hearing tests and refer to a speech‑language pathologist. Depending on assessment results, referrals may also be made to audiology, developmental paediatrics, child neurology or child psychiatry.

Prioritise face‑to‑face interactions, narrate daily activities, repeat and model words, read together and give the child time to respond. Short, frequent play interactions and encouragement of gestures support communication. These are general tips and a specialist can recommend more targeted strategies.

Speech delay itself is usually not an emergency. However, sudden hearing loss, seizures, breathing or feeding difficulties, or a sudden change in alertness or behaviour require immediate medical attention.