Ask the Expert

Susan Pettijohn, MA,CC

Question
My son recently turned 2 and has not started to speak.  He still uses baby words, and the other problem is that his 4 year old brother talks so much that my little guy never gets a chance to speak.  Do you think he had a developmental problem?  Should I get him checked out?

The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA)  indicates that by age 2 a child  should be: 
 

• Saying new words every month
• Using one or two word questions
• Putting two words together
• Using many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words
• Pointing to a few body parts when asked.
• Following simple commands and understands simple questions
• Listening to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
• Pointing to pictures in a book when named

 Talking out loud to your son, providing opportunity for him to talk and playing sound games are all good ways to stimulate his speech and language development.  However, if he is not displaying the above behaviors a Speech and Language Evaluation by a Speech – Language Pathologist Certified by ASHA is recommended to assess your son’s speech and language development.  At SOCH all of our Speech – Language Pathologists are ASHA certified and licensed by the State of NJ.

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