It is often difficult for parents to determine if a delay in speech development is due to immaturity or something more serious, therefore it’s important to initially speak with your physician about normal speech and language development, and then follow up with a speech-language pathologist.

Every child develops speech at a different pace. Learning about where your child should be at various stages in development will help you spot any problems early, so that you can help to improve these skills early on. It may be something as simple as you needing to spend a little more time reading to your child so that she can hear and see the way you make sounds.

On the other hand, it could be a little more complicated, but it is best to know as early as possible, so that your child gets a fair chance at developing speech and language skills. A delay in addressing a development issue can have a long-term impact on speech. It’s beneficial to create an environment that encourages your child to speak more at home and practice the techniques.