How Do I Know If My Child Has a Speech Delay?

Between 5% and 12% of children aged 2 to 5 are diagnosed with a speech or language delay. For half of these children, these delays can persist into their teenage years, potentially leading to challenges in school and, later on, in their careers. Seeking support earlier on for your child can play a crucial role in minimising the long-term impacts of these delays and help your child develop stronger educational foundations.

 

As a parent, it’s completely natural to be concerned about your child’s speech and language development. You might often wonder, “Is my child’s speech on track?” In this blog, I aim to ease some of those concerns by highlighting key signs that may suggest a speech delay. Drawing from my experience as a practicing speech pathologist, I’ll guide you through specific behaviors and milestones to watch for, helping you gauge whether your child might benefit from additional support.

 

I’ll also share effective strategies and tools that I’ve used successfully in my practice to foster speech development in children. Remember, spotting delays early can make a significant difference in your child’s communication skills, and as a professional who has worked with many children facing similar challenges, I have seen firsthand the positive impacts of timely and targeted intervention.

What’s covered in this article:

• What Are Speech Delays?
• What Are Signs of Speech Delay?
• What Can Increase The Chances of a Speech Sound Delay?
• What Are The Behaviours Linked to a Speech Delay?
• When Should I be Concerned About My Child’s Speech?
• What Tools and Strategies Can Help My Child’s Speech Development?

What Are Speech Delays?

 

Speech clarity and speech sounds refer to how we articulate the sounds in words, how we use our tongue, lips and oral cavity to make our words clear for others to understand us. If your child has a delay in acquiring these speech sounds it is called a speech sound delay. For example, your child might struggle with speech clarity, saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit.” at the age of 8. While they know what they want to say, their inability to articulate sounds clearly makes it difficult for others to understand them.

This is different from a language delay. Language refers to how we understand and use words to communicate our ideas. This includes the vocabulary we use, and how we put sentences together to express ourselves. Understanding the difference between a speech delay and a language delay is key to recognising where your child may need support. Learn more about language delays here and late talkers here.

What Are the Signs of a Speech Sound Delay?

Below are some common signs that may suggest a speech sound delay:

• Your child is more difficult to understand than their peers.
• Your child is more difficult to understand than their peers.
• Your child is making speech errors that their peers are not – While occasional errors are normal, consistently mispronouncing sounds that most children their age can say may indicate a delay.
• Using mostly vowels to talk at the age of 3.
• Family members and/or unfamiliar listeners don’t understand your child’s speech 75% of the time by age 4.
• Not correctly pronouncing most speech sounds by age 4. By this age, your child should be able to say sounds like m, n, h, w, p, b, t, d, k, g, ng, f, y, s, z, ch, j, sh, l.
• Family members and/or unfamiliar listeners don’t understand your child’s speech 95%-100% of the time by age 5.
• Still producing the “s” sound as the “th” sound at 5 years of age (e.g., a lisp).
• Not correctly saying later-developing sounds by age 7. For example, “v” in “van”, “r” in “run”, or “th” in “thumb”.
• Not correctly pronouncing consonant clusters like “str” as in “straw” or “scr” as in “scrub” by age 6.

Every child develops speech skills at their own pace, but there are key developmental milestones that can help identify if your child has a speech delay. Speech sounds are typically acquired in a particular order, and if your child is late in reaching these milestones it can indicate a potential speech sound delay

You can learn more about different speech sound difficulties in this blog here.

 

Figure 1. Speech sound development – Typical & atypical speech errors

What Can Increase The Chances of a Speech Sound Delay?

In my experience working with children, I’ve noticed that certain influences can make it more likely for them to experience speech delays. Let me share a couple of risk factors you might find helpful to know about:

History of Ear infections

Ear infections are more than just painful—they can also lead to hearing loss. If your child has frequent ear infections, it might affect their ability to hear sounds clearly, which in turn can impact how they learn to say those sounds. Learn more about the impact of ear infections on speech development in our blog here.

Being male

• Interestingly, boys are often more likely to have speech and language delays compared to girls. For more information on speech and language development in boys and twins, visit our blog here.

What Are The Behaviours Linked to a Speech Delay?

If your child is experiencing a speech delay, you may also notice some secondary behaviours or outcomes, including:

• Your child may avoid reading out loud or talking to others.
• They might become very quiet or appear overly shy, becoming withdrawn in social settings.
• Becoming frustrated when trying to communicate.
• Your child might stop trying to say certain words altogether to avoid mistakes.
• They may struggle with feeling confident or have low self-esteem especially if they feel different from their peers.
• Your child may have difficulties in reading and writing.
• If you recognise any of these signs or behaviours in your child, early intervention can make a significant difference in their progress.

When Should I be Concerned About My Child’s Speech?

Research indicates that untreated speech sound delays can lead to challenges in literacy, social interaction, and self-esteem as the child grows. Early intervention can improve speech clarity and prevent these issues from affecting their educational and social development later on.

If you notice any of the above signs, it’s important to explore effective strategies and resources as early on as possible. This can include searching for a speech pathologist for an assessment and therapy plan.

At Online Speechie, we offer a range of speech therapy services tailored to your child’s individual needs. Our speech pathologists can provide a comprehensive assessment and develop personalised strategies to support your child’s speech development.

Whether you need an in person consultation, telehealth, at-home exercises, or a personalised speech home program, reach out to us here and let us help your child get the support that they need.

What Tools and Strategies Can Help My Child’s Speech Development?

In my practice as a speech pathologist, I’ve found several techniques particularly effective for supporting children’s speech sound development at home. These strategies are not only easy to implement but have proven successful for many of the parents I work with. They focus on building awareness and clarity by making sound production practice fun and engaging:

 

• Recasting: Repeat back what your child has said but with the correct pronunciation, offering an example for them to hear and learn from. Exaggerate the target sound while drawing attention to your mouth. For example, if your child says, “I see a wabbit,” you respond with, “Yes, I see a rabbit.” Your child hears the correct version of the word in a natural conversation, which reinforces the correct sound in a non-judgmental and encouraging way.
• Use a Mirror: Sit with your child in front of a mirror. Start by saying the target sound slowly and clearly while exaggerating the movement of your lips, tongue, and mouth. Encourage your child to watch your face closely. Ask your child to say the same sound while watching themselves in the mirror. This helps them visually understand how their mouth should move to produce the sound correctly.
• Tactile Cues: Use touch to guide your child’s awareness of their tongue, lips, mouth. For example, for the “m” sound as in “moon”, encourage them to use their fingers to feel the closure of the lips. For the “t” sound as in “teddy”, putting Nutella behind their top front teeth can guide them to where their tongue should be placed.

To understand the strategies that we may use in speech therapy sessions with your child, read our blog here.

A Closing Thought…

Recognising a speech sound delay early can make a big difference in your child’s development. By watching out for key signs, you can identify whether your child may need extra help. Early intervention is crucial. It improves speech clarity, boosts confidence, and helps prevent long-term challenges.

 

References:

Diepeveen, S.; Terband, H.; van Haaften, L.; van de Zande, A.M.; Megens-Huigh, C.; de Swart, B.; Maassen, B. Process-Oriented Profiling of Speech Sound Disorders. Children 2022, 1502. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9101502
rosos, K.; Papanicolaou, A.; Voniati, L.; Panayidou, K.; Thodi, C. Auditory Processing and Speech-Sound Disorders. Brain Sci.2024, 14, 291. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14030291
Othman A. Child Developmental Delays and Disorders: Speech and Language Delay. FP Essent. 2021 Nov;510:17-21. PMID: 34709025.