I have a lot of parents ask me whether or not they should wait to see if their child’s language improves since they are so little (usually between 14 months to 26 months of age) or if they should schedule a speech and language evaluation.
My answer to all parents asking this question is, “if you are concerned at all, listen to your parental instincts and come in for an evaluation to see if there is an underlying cause for a possible language delay or if they are developing typically.”
If there is a language delay, difficulty imitating, or a possible language weakness, then early intervention is the best thing for your child. There is no harm that comes from getting answers early on or learning strategies that might help and boost their language development.
As a parent it is difficult to see your little one struggling to answer questions, not saying many words, refusing to eat foods, having tantrums because they can’t express themselves with words, not following directions because they might not know how to, or stuttering so much that they are getting frustrated by these challenges.
A speech, language, or feeding evaluation can help identify areas that are strong and areas that need improvement. If after an evaluation the speech pathologist reassures you that your child is developing typically then you get the best piece of mind a parent can have. If not, then you took action early which always yields the best results, and can learn strategies to provide your child with the best success.