Therapy spots are currently full — contact us to join the waitlist and explore options like comprehensive assessments, interprofessional consultations, or CDA support.
- 345 Lakeshore Road East, Suite 502, Oakville, Ontario
- 905-520-WORD
Therapy spots are currently full — contact us to join the waitlist and explore options like comprehensive assessments, interprofessional consultations, or CDA support.
Late talkers are toddlers (18 to 35 months) who develop spoken language more slowly than most, even though they may not show other delays or challenges.
For example, a two-year-old with fewer than 50 words, who hasn’t started combining them into short phrases, might be considered a late talker. This milestone represents the 10th percentile. This means that out of 100 two-year-olds, about 90 would be using more than 50 words and starting to combine them, while the remaining 10, including late talkers, are still developing these skills.
Being in the 10th percentile doesn’t necessarily mean something is “wrong.”
Yes! Children develop at their own pace – beautifully, validly, and uniquely. Late talking can be a natural variation in language development. And, in some cases, it is an early sign of atypical development. Some late talkers catch up on their own, while others may continue to experience challenges with speaking, reading, or writing as they grow older.
We can’t predict with certainty which late talkers will need long-term support, but we can help identify potential challenges early and allow families to address concerns proactively and build on their children’s strengths. Plus, getting help early can lead to better outcomes by offering tools to support communication at a critical time for development. At Words Plus, we take a “support-and-see” approach, providing guidance and strategies tailored to your family’s needs and avoiding the outdated “wait-and-see” mindset that can lead to missed opportunities.
To start, we offer a complimentary 15-minute screening to help families assess their options and provide guidance around accessing free resources, including your local publicly funded Preschool Speech and Language (PSL) program.
If you’re concerned about your child’s language development, trust your instincts – because we do. At Words Plus, we believe parents are the experts on their own children. Your insights and observations are invaluable. We aren’t simply calculating “what are the chances your child will or won’t catch up.” We work with families to understand a child’s functional needs and the whole child in the context of their family life. At Words Plus, we strive to provide family-centred services to support your child in ways that feel natural and achievable for your family.
Is your child frustrated with being unable to communicate?
Can you see their struggle?
Are you working really hard to figure out what your child wants?
If the inability to express wants and needs is affecting your child’s participation in daily activities, impacting their social-emotional well-being, or necessitating exceptional effort by their parents or caregivers, therapy may be warranted. At Words Plus, we can help you implement simple, effective strategies to ease frustration and build your child’s communication skills in ways that fit naturally into your daily routines. Studies show that when parents use simple language-building strategies during play and daily routines, kids improve their speech and language skills.
At Words Plus, we consider the whole child and take a broader view that includes aspects of language and development beyond simple word counts when recommending speech therapy for toddlers. For example, we bear in mind related factors such as family history, limited use of symbolic gestures, sentence diversity, the variety of the types of words used, and changes over time to gain a fuller understanding of a child’s communication development.
Late talking is not a diagnosis, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate a problem. However, noticing late language emergence often supports early identification of other developmental differences. For example, language scores are closely linked to the age of autism diagnosis in children. In fact, early differences in language development are one of the main reasons autistic children are referred for assessment. Not talking at the same time as their peers is a noticeable indicator that can prompt helpful conversations about a child’s overall development and needs.
Words Plus believes an early diagnosis of autism or other developmental differences is not about “fixing” children. It’s about earlier access to support and services, and ensuring the grown-ups in their lives can better understand and support them, laying the groundwork for the child to understand and embrace himself or herself.
Developmental milestones can be interconnected (e.g., walking and talking, or speech-delay and differences in social communication skills). If your speech-language pathologist (SLP) identifies signs of potential developmental differences, they may recommend speech therapy for your toddler and provide guidance or referrals to other professionals and services, such as occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists (PTs), or developmental assessment by a medical doctor or clinical psychologist.
At Words Plus, we take a compassionate, holistic, family-centered approach to helping late talkers:
Every child’s journey is unique, and late talking may or may not require intervention. At Words Plus, we trust parents to know their children best. We’re here to support your informed decision on whether to pursue additional help and provide tools to boost your toddler’s communication. Contact us for a complimentary screening and explore the benefits of early support.
