“How can I help a late talker?”

If your toddler is not talking yet, do not panic. There are multiple reasons that a child may start communicating later than other children. After ruling out medical reasons, make sure that your child is exposed to lots of language. Use positive reinforcement by saying “That was great that you used your words to communicate.” Since toddlers are still learning and testing new strategies, do not meet their efforts with negatively or they will stop trying. Praise any effort that they make, even if you do not think it was good enough. This will help them build confidence and want to try speaking more. Encourage them to ask for things with words, but if they are not able to use words yet, allow them to communicate their needs in any manner that they are able.

I would recommend seeking out a referral from your daughter's pediatrician for Early Intervention services. Here is an article about early intervention. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/early-intervention/

Whenever there is a concern regarding speech and language development, I always recommend that the child be evaluated by a trained professional. Sometimes parents interpret their child as not talking when in actuality, the child is just very difficult to understand due to poor articulation abilities. With that said, sometimes it truly is a language delay. With your child being 2, you can contact the early intervention program in your area and have your child evaluated. You can also contact a private practice speech-language pathologist in your area to have an evaluation completed. Typically health insurance will cover the evaluation.

Between 2-2 1/2 would be a good time to look into early interventions if you are concerned about late talking. By around 2 children should be forming two word utterances and expanding from there. Check ins with your pediatrician would be great as well as looking into your state/area’s early intervention programs which will target speech therapy. I would also advise talking to your child, narrating what you’re doing all the time to fill their world with spoken word!