Early signs your child may benefit from speech pathology

Milestones at a glance

• By 12 months: babbling, responding to their name, using gestures like waving
• By 18 months: around 10 to 20 words, pointing to show you things
• By 2 years: combining two words, following simple instructions
• By 3 years: short sentences, mostly understood by family
• By 4 years: understood by strangers most of the time, asking lots of questions

Signs worth acting on

• Few words or no word combinations by age two
• Hard to understand at age three or four
• Difficulty following instructions or understanding questions
• Stuttering that lasts more than a few months or causes distress
• Limited eye contact, gestures or interest in interacting
• Difficulty with chewing, swallowing or very fussy eating

What a speech pathologist does

An assessment looks at speech sounds, language understanding and expression, social communication and, where relevant, feeding and swallowing. Therapy is play-based and built around what your child enjoys, with simple strategies for you to use at home and share with educators.

How the NDIS supports young children

Children under nine can access the NDIS early childhood approach. An early childhood partner can connect families to supports and, where needed, help with an NDIS access request. Children with a diagnosis such as autism may be eligible for an NDIS plan; those without a diagnosis may still receive early intervention supports.

Next steps

If you're unsure, call us. A short conversation is often enough to tell whether an assessment would help, and there's no need for a referral.