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by Abby Sakovich M.S., CCC-SLP
May is “Better Speech and Hearing Month,” a month dedicated to raising
awareness about communication disorders and the professionals who treat
them. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) campaign,
Identify the Signs, seeks to help parents recognize signs of speech, language,
and hearing disorders and find the help needed to address these disorders.
Signs of a Language Disorder
| Age Range |
Sign |
| • 2-3 months & Up |
Does not smile/interact with others |
| • 4-7 months |
does not babble ("bababa") |
| • 7-12 months |
very few sounds or gestures (pointing) |
| • 7 months - 2 years |
poor comprehension of what others say |
| • 1 1/2 - 2 years |
all speech is difficult for familiar listeners to understand |
| • 1 1/2 - 3 years |
does not combine words into sentences |
| • 2 - 3 years |
difficulty talking to and playing with peers |
| • 2 1/2 - 3 years |
difficulty with early literacy and pre-writing skills |
Signs of a Speech Sound Disorder
| Age Range |
Sign |
| • by age 3 |
incorrect production of early sounds /p,b,m,h, w/ in words |
| • by age 4 |
incorrect production of /k,g,f,t,d,n/ in words |
| • by age 5 |
speech is unclear, even to familiar listeners |
Signs of a Stuttering Disorder
| Age Range |
Sign |
| • 2 1/2 - 3 years |
difficulty producing sounds or words |
| • 2 1/2 - 3 years |
repeats the first sound of words (b-b-b-baby for “baby”) |
| • 2 1/2 - 3 years |
frequent pauses of silence when talking |
| • 2 1/2 - 3 years |
stretching sounds out while talking (sssss-silly for “silly”) |
Signs of a Voice Disorder
| Age Range |
Sign |
| • any age |
hoarse- or breathy-sounding voice |
| • any age |
nasal quality to voice |
Signs of a Hearing Problem
| Age Range |
Sign |
| • birth - 1 year |
poor attention to sounds in the environment |
| • 7 months - 1 year |
does not respond when name is called |
| • 1 - 2 years |
difficulty following simple directions |
| • birth - 3 years |
delays in speech and/or language development |
| • any age |
scratching or pulling at ears |
| • school-age |
limited academic progress, especially math and/or reading |
| • school-age |
social isolation and unhappiness at school |
| • school-age |
discomfort in ears after exposure to loud noise |
If you think your child may have problems with speech, language, or hearing…
Do not hesitate to ask your child’s pediatrician about an evaluation from a certified Speech-
Language Pathologist or Audiologist. If your child is school-age, discuss your concerns with his/
her teacher. Identifying a communication disorder early plays a key role in how soon effective
and appropriate treatment can take place.
Resources
Identify the Signs of Communication Disorders by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Retrieved 4/13/2017 from www.identifythesigns.org. |