How common are late talkers?

About 15%-25% of young children have some kind of communication disorder. Boys tend to develop language skills a little later than girls, but in general, kids may be labeled "late-talking children" if they speak less than 10 words by the age of 18 to 20 months, or fewer than 50 words by 21 to 30 months of age.


Who are more likely to be late talkers?

They have determined, though, that Late Talkers are more likely to have a family history of early language delay, to be male, and to have been born at less than 85% of their optimal birth weight or at less than 37 weeks gestation [1].

Is late-talking common?

Research has also found that approximately 13 percent of two-year-olds are late talkers.


What is the cause of late-talking?

Children develop at their own rate. If your child has a speech delay, it doesn't always mean something is wrong. You may simply have a late bloomer who'll be talking your ear off in no time. A speech delay can also be due to hearing loss or underlying neurological or developmental disorders.

What causes kids to be late talkers?

No one has been able to figure out why these children are late to start talking. There's no obvious reason for their language delay. Researchers are looking into the role that genetics may play. Many Late Talkers seem to catch up to their peers by the time they begin school [1].


What is Speech Delay and Late-Talkers | www.agentsofspeech.com/checklist



Can a child outgrow speech delay?

Can a toddler outgrow a speech delay? Approximately 70% to 80% of children with expressive language delays will outgrow their delay and catch up to their peers. Children who receive early intervention services are more likely to catch up to their peers.

Can a toddler have speech delay and not be autistic?

Not necessarily. While speech delays, language delays, and learning differences are often a hallmark of ASD, a speech delay by itself does not mean a child has autism. In fact, there are key differences between communication delays caused by autism and other types of speech-language disorders.

Does speech delay mean low intelligence?

Children with speech delay is one of the concerns for many parents. Many opinions believe that children with delayed speech affect intelligence. However, so far, there has been no research to prove that children with speech delay are less intelligent.


Can a late talker talk?

Children who are late talkers will often have trouble with spoken or expressive language. While they understand instructions, and can point at objects etc, they may not be able to verbally express their wants and needs, or perhaps are less clear in producing common speech sounds.

Did Einstein have a speech delay?

Einstein, a certified genius, was also a late talker (according to some biographers). He didn't speak full sentences until he was 5 years old. Einstein's speech delay clearly wasn't an impediment to his intellectual prowess and awe-inspiring accomplishments.

Is 3 too old to not be talking?

Although 3 is the age when your child should begin to leave the baby talk behind, every child develops differently. It's fine at this age for your child to still be saying three-word sentences, but the content of the sentences should change.


Do speech delayed toddlers catch up?

Some children with expressive language delay "catch up" during the preschool years ("late bloomers"), whereas others have persistent delay (see 'Natural history' below). Early evaluation can help to correctly identify late-talking children who will benefit from intervention and/or additional evaluation.

Do late talkers do well in school?

All oral and written language measures revealed consistent patterns for 'early' talkers to have the highest level of performance and 'late' talkers to have the lowest level of performance.

Can speech delay be caused by parents?

Delays can also be caused by neglect, abuse, or an event or circumstance that was really disruptive to development. These are atypical scenarios though that we rarely encounter. For the average parent doing their best, you can rest assured that your child's speech or language delay is definitely not your fault.


Is Delayed speech a disability?

Speech and language problems are often the earliest sign of a learning disability. Hearing loss is often overlooked, and easily identified. If your child is speech/language delayed, their hearing should be tested.

Why is a 4 year old not talking?

There are several things that can cause speech delays, such as hearing loss, physical problems in the roof of the mouth, learning disabilities, or certain diagnosable conditions like autism spectrum disorder or cerebral palsy.

When should I worry about late talkers?

A late-talker has mastered 50 words or less by age 2, and can't yet combine words, such as “more juice”. Reach out to your pediatrician or a pediatric speech-language pathologist if your child is exhibiting at least three of the following signs: Hearing issues or frequent ear infections.


Are late talkers less smart?

To be sure, most late talking children do not have high intelligence. However, there are certainly many cases on record indicating that there may be trade-offs between early, precocious development of reasoning and analytical abilities and the development of verbal skills.

What part of the brain causes speech delay?

Damage to a discrete part of the brain in the left frontal lobe (Broca's area) of the language-dominant hemisphere has been shown to significantly affect the use of spontaneous speech and motor speech control. Words may be uttered very slowly and poorly articulated.

Does speech delay affect behavior?

Late talkers are predisposed to have severe and/or frequent temper tantrums at nearly double the rate of their peers with typical language skills, the study found. The scientists categorize tantrums as "severe" if the toddler is regularly doing things like holding their breath, hitting or kicking during a tantrum.


What causes speech delay besides autism?

Other causes of speech delay in children

Hearing problems. Apraxia of speech (speech muscle-control issues) Cognitive setbacks. Learning disabilities.

Should I worry about my 2 year old not talking?

A 2 year old not talking is a reason to seek advice from a speech pathologist or a health professional. There is a lot of variation and reason for delayed toddler talking, however, if they are saying NO words at 2, it is a definite red flag for them being at risk of development and learning delays.

Do autistic toddlers laugh?

Young children may express more voiced than unvoiced laughter, as they haven't yet learned to purposely laugh. The test group of autistic children laughed just about as often as the non-autistic kids, but the autistic children's laughter was 98 percent voiced, while non-autistic children produced both types.


At what age should speech therapy begin?

It's never too early or too late to start therapy. Children who aren't speaking at all are commonly referred for speech and language assessments around 18 months of age. But, it's absolutely possible for children to start at a younger age. Children born with a disability often start therapy as babies.

Do late talkers need speech therapy?

Some children with delayed speech and language skills will grow out of it; others will require speech/language therapy to help them along. There's no way to tell which route your child will take, but if you are concerned there are many things you can do at home to help your child along.