This is a very common concern which falls under the "expressive language" diagnosis. Does your child not have any words? Or maybe just a few words? Do you feel like your child should talk more than they currently are? If they are 18 months and older, they may be a late talker. A speech therapist can help determine what is an appropriate expectation based on your child's age and other developmental skills. Usually children with delayed language also have delayed play skills. So therapy works on both! Play-based therapy helps to promote language and language helps support play skills. This type of therapy is very "gentle" and allows for opportunities to communicate rather than forcing communication in an unnatural way. Therapy should be fun! Communication should be seen as valuable rather than a chore.  It is also easy to teach to you so you can practice these skills at home. Some common traits of late talkers: 

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• use gestures and pointing to get what they want. 

• bring objects to a caregiver to request or lead caregivers to the object

• caregivers who have to guess or anticipate their child's needs

•  tantrums and meltdowns when they cannot communicate

• abandoning or giving up on an attempt to communicate

• cannot be cared for by other people as they cannot communicate

 

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