Does My Toddler Need Speech Therapy?
A 2 year old may benefit from Speech Therapy if he or she cannot/does not:
- Use 2-4 words together to form short sentences or communicate needs: My child does not use at least two words to communicate such as “daddy go,” “eat cookie,” etc.
- Role play or make believe play: My child does not pretend to do things like pretend to be talking on a phone, feed a baby doll, play kitchen, and act out animal actions and sounds.
- Like to play near other children: My child prefers to play alone even when around other children and does not seek involvement even when at daycare or family events.
- Label 2-4 pictures while looking at a book: My child does not identify at least two pictures of objects when we look in a book such as a “horse,” “ball,” “sock.”
- Identify body parts: My child does not point to nose, mouth, etc. when asked.
A 3 year old may benefit from Speech Therapy if he or she cannot/does not:
- Respond to questions when asked things or ask “who, what, where” questions: My child does not seem to understand when I ask him/her “where are your shoes?” and does not ask questions such as “who is that?”
- Speak in complete sentences: My child does not use sentences in complex ways such as “Mommy go store” or “I want my cup.”
- Join in play or seek attention: My child does not seem to be interested in playing with other children or want attention. For example, he loves cars but does not want to show me things he can do with the cars or want other kids to play cars with him.
- Produce correct beginning sounds of words or consonants in words: My child seems to have difficulty saying things like “car” and it usually sounds like “ar.” He also uses a lot of vowel sounds, but very few consonants.
- Participate in story telling: My child does not seem to have interest in story time. He does not like to sit in my lap while I read a story to him or have a favorite book. Instead he cries, whines, or tries to get out of my lap to do something else.
If your child frequently displays the symptoms on the checklist, please call your pediatrician for possible referral to MMPT.
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Ruston
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