If you are reading this, you probably have questions about your child’s speech and language development. Perhaps you had a concern at an earlier age and were told to “wait and see” if your child would grow out of it – but the concern hasn’t gone away. Or perhaps you are noticing something for the first time and wondering if it is typical or not.
You aren’t the first parent to wonder if their child’s speech and language abilities are progressing typically. Many parents wonder if their children are progressing at the rate they should.
We have partnered with one of EIRMC’s awesome Speech and Language Pathologists, Erin L. Kennedy, to bring you some resources to help guide you through what is and is not typical for your 4-5 year old. In this post, we’ll discuss what your child should be doing, signs that something is wrong, and things to you can do to help your child. If you do feel something is wrong, rest assured that we have incredible local speech and language pathologists here in Southeast Idaho to help guide you and your child towards healthy development.
What your child should be doing at age 4-5
Every child is different and some children develop these skills at the later stages of this age group. That’s okay. The following are basic guidelines.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a typical 4 to 5 year old child can:
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Understand most of what is said at home and school.
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Understand words for time and order. (Yesterday and today or first and last.)
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Follow three-step directions.
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Say all sounds in words. (Some mistakes on tricky sounds like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th are okay at this age.)
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Respond to questions like, “What did you say?”
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Talk without repeating sounds.
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Name letters and numbers.
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Keep a conversation going.
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Tell a short story.
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Talk in different ways depending on the situation. (Talk louder outside or use short sentences with younger children.)
If your child is doing these things then most likely he or she is progressing in the way a typical 4-5 year old should.
Signs there might be a problem at age 4-5
Here are the things you should be watching out for at this age. These are warning signs that your child could have a speech language delay or disorder. There might be a problem if your child:
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Is hard to understand when talking. Even when talking with people who know your child well.
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Is mispronouncing p, b, m, h, w, k, g, f, t, d, n letter sounds.
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Is stuttering (repeating first sounds of words, pausing a lot while talking, or stretching out sounds in words.)
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Is having trouble playing or talking with others.
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Is not showing interest in reading books or drawing pictures.
What to do next
If you recognize any of these problems, or just have a feeling that something isn’t right – you should have your child evaluated. At this age, it’s not generally recommended to “wait and see” if your child will learn to communicate better. You want to have your child evaluated to see what is causing the speech and language delay/disorder and to come up with a plan to help your child.
Speech delays and disorders have a variety of causes. There could be hearing problems, oral motor skill deficiency, tongue or lip ties, improper jaw positioning, or frontal lobe disconnects. A Speech Language Pathologist will help diagnose the problem. They may also recommend additional testing to determine the cause of the speech problem. For example, you may see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor (ENT) if there is suspected fluid in your child’s ears, or you may meet with an audiologist who can help diagnose an Auditory Processing Disorder. A Speech Language Pathologist can help point you in the right direction.
Start by contacting your child’s pediatrician and asking for a referral to a Speech Language Pathologist. You can do this at a doctor’s appointment, or you can simply call them and ask for the referral.
EIRMC has a wonderful practice located behind the main EIRMC building. Their Speech Language Pathologists are outstanding and passionate about helping children. You may contact EIRMC’s Pediatric Therapy office at (208) 529-7982.
Once a referral is obtained, you’ll set up an appointment and speak on the phone with a Speech Language Pathologist about your concerns. Following that, you will set an appointment to meet with your child and the Speech Language Pathologist for testing and evaluations. These tests may include checking your child’s ability to label items or point to particular items on a page. Your child may also have a referral for a hearing evaluation. Once your child’s needs are assessed, goals will be written to fit your family’s biggest needs and goals. Parental involvement is encouraged at every appointment and every goal along the way.
Things you can do to help
There are some things you can do to help your child develop language skills. These can be done with children whether they are right on track or have a speech language delay/disorder.
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Get your child’s attention before you speak.
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Talk to your child. Talk about what you notice in the world. Point out interesting things and describe them to your child. Talk about things that are the same and different.
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Use new words when talking to your child and make sure you define the word.
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Teach your child to ask for help when they do not understand what a word means.
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Play games like I-Spy where you have to describe something.
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Read stories together and pause to talk about what is happening or have your child think about what will happen next.
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Ask your child to draw pictures of something that happened in a book, TV show, or movie
It’s important to remember that it is not your fault if your child has a delay or a disorder. Many great parents have children who have speech language delays/disorders. Don’t spend time or energy feeling like you failed your child or thinking about how you should have caught this problem sooner. Instead focus on what you can do now to help your child.
