Too early for speech and language therapy?

Is my child too young for speech and language therapy?

Kindly friends and relatives may offer reassurance and suggest you wait and see, when you instinctively know your toddler or young child has difficulties starting to talk and interact with others.
Research shows that early intervention is key to help a child who is late talking or delayed communicating. Children's brains are developing rapidly in the first  three years and they are particularly responsive to language and interaction from their parents at a young age. The Hanen website has great information on the importance of early intervention. 

At what age should I seek help for my child?

Interaction begins between a baby and a parent at birth and speech and language therapists are trained to assess communication in babies and infants as well as older children. A speech and language therapist  will assess your child's gestures, eye contact, vocalisations, social interaction, attention, play and understanding, which are the skills your child needs to develop before he starts to use words.

For more information on  when to seek help the charity ICAN's Talking Point offers guidance on what to expect at different ages.

Find a speech and language therapist

If you are concerned about your child's communication or interaction at any age, a speech and language therapist  can provide advice and  give you ideas of how to help your child.
There is no need to get a doctor's referral, You can contact an independent or NHS speech and language therapist direct to arrange an assessment.

If you would like to discuss your concerns with  a speech and language therapist further or arrange an appointment contact Apple Tree Speech and Language Therapy.