As parents watch their infants and toddlers reach ages and milestones, they may have questions on whether their child is speaking appropriately and meeting the right developmental milestones for their age. Speech therapy at the Florida Center can be an option for children up to age eight.

Children develop at their own pace, and speech delays can vary from child-to-child. Not all delays require intervention or speech therapy. As a rule of thumb, children should be able to say one word at about 1, two-word combinations at 18 months to 2 years and three-word sentences before turning 3. When speech specialists evaluate delayed speech, they care as much about a child’s understanding as they do about how much he speaks.

Speech therapists at The Florida Center work on a range of issues with children, from pronunciation, to vocabulary, to early literacy and understanding, even swallowing issues.

You may be concerned about your child’s speech development, and their need for speech therapy if you see the following signs:

1. Your child doesn’t interact socially. 

2. Your child only makes a few words, sounds or gestures.

3. You can’t understand what your child is saying.

4. Your child hasn’t started to combine two or more words together by age 2. 

5. Your child struggles to make sounds or say words up to age 4.

Not all children need speech therapy, but the experts at The Florida Center can help identify your child’s needs and evaluate the need for early intervention services. If you are concerned that your child may need speech therapy, call The Florida Center at 941-371-8820.