Identifying Red Flags for Developmental Language Disorder
If your child shows these red flags, or you are concerned about other aspects of your child’s speech and language development, contact a speech-language pathologist.
1 year of age:
- No reaction to sound
- No babbling
- Difficulty feeding
- No imitation
- Limited use of gestures
2 years of age:
- Minimal attempts to communicate with gestures or words
- No first words
- Difficulty following simple directions
- Inconsistent response to “no”
3 years of age:
- Limited use of speech
- Speech is not understandable to parents
- Limited understanding of simple questions
- Difficulty naming objects or pictures
- Produces at most 2-word phrases
- Frustration related to communication
4 years of age:
- Produces at most 3-word phrases
- Speech is mostly not understandable to parents
- Limited turn-taking in conversations
- Takes a long time to understand what is being said
- Difficulty asking questions
- Difficulty finding words to express thoughts
5 years of age:
- Speaks only in simple sentences
- If English speaking, leaves out the –ed marker (She play(-ed) last night)
- Speech not understandable to teachers
- Difficulty answering questions
- Difficulty with complex directions
- Difficulty telling stories
- Difficulty with peer interactions
School age:
- Difficulty with reading, writing, or math
- Difficulty following complex directions
- Does not produce complex sentences
- Produces sentences with grammar errors
- Difficulty repeating sentences
- Limited vocabulary compared to peers
- Produces speech with sound errors
- Difficulty with social interactions
This a guide on childhood language development. All children grow and develop differently. If you have concerns about your child’s health or development, contact your child’s primary care provider.
Adaptation of:
Visser-Bochane, M. I., Gerrits, E., Schans, C. P., Reijneveld, S. A., & Luinge, M. R. (2016). Atypical speech and language development: A consensus study on clinical signs in the Netherlands. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(1), 10-20. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12251
Language and Learning
Speech Therapy