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Expert Q&A
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| By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist | ||
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My 2-year-old nephew does not say more than 10 words. He understands our commands and seems to hear well, but I am very concerned that there is something wrong with his speech being so delayed. He has his own little language, but has no interest in even trying to imitate words that we work with him on. Could you please give me some advice or insight on what may be the problem?
Typically, 2-year-old children can speak in sentences with pretty good speech clarity. However, every child is different and can develop their speech and language skills at a different rate.
The first thing you should do is have his hearing tested by a certified audiologist to rule out hearing loss. Although he "seems to hear well," he may have an undetected hearing loss. As part of the hearing evaluation, the audiologist can make recommendations whether or not he/she feels that your nephew could benefit from a speech and language evaluation. You can find a certified audiologist in your area at The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Web site: www.asha.org."
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