Between 18 months and 2 years, children begin to combine words to form short phrases such as, “more milk,” and “all done!” If your toddler is using words to communicate, but you are concerned that their speaking skills are not developing as rapidly as their peers, it is strongly recommended you seek an evaluation by an SLP. A parent’s intuitive sense is usually spot-on.
Some children may have a difficult time stringing words together due to difficulties with motor speech coordination and articulation, while others may exhibit a weakness in expressive language skills. In the latter case, children may benefit from more explicit strategies to help them combine words to communicate using short phrases and sentences.
A licensed SLP will conduct a comprehensive and in-depth evaluation of your child’s speech, language, and overall communication skills to determine whether your child’s language skills are age-appropriate. The underlying factors that contribute to and maintain the difficulties will also be examined and addressed. Results of this evaluation will help your clinician design a plan of action with tailored exercises and evidence-based strategies to help your child address their specific challenges. The earlier a child receives intervention, the faster gains are made to help language flourish and communicative confidence increase!