“Does birth order affect the likelihood of having speech issues?”

No, not really though sometimes older siblings will talk for younger siblings which can cause them to speak less

No, birth order is not a risk factor for speech language impairment

As for as my knowledge, no. Birth order can affect the personality of a person, but not speech language development. Now, if other things were going on during your childhood (e.g., a sibling who is pampered more or less), or a sibling has a disability, there can be stressors that may affect language development by hampering the stimulation you would have gotten had the circumstance not exist. Birth order in itself does not affect speech language development.

It is possible but can’t be specifically ruled for the reason for speech issues

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to me with your concerns. It is not uncommon for younger kids to let the older ones take the lead on their speech attempts. However, speech delays depend on multiple factors. I would like more information. Are all the kids born in the same environment/opportunities? Have all of them had the same devoted attention from the caretaker? Do they share the same biological parents? Have they been exposed to the same education or support system as they were growing? Even when having all of this factors in common, it is still possible to have a speech delay in one them and not the others. Each child is unique! My best advice: If you have concerns with any of your kids, talk to your pediatrician, request a speech and language evaluation prescription, and seek help. It will never hurt, even if it’s a mild concern.

There is not a strong correlation between birth order and having a speech issue.

Hi,

No, it does not!

Ali Matisse, MS CCC-SLP