Speech and Language Development

When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor any time you or another caregiver has concerns about your child's speech and language development. Be aware of red flags that indicate a possible developmental delay, such as when your child does not make sounds that are expected for his or her age.

Your health professional will conduct a physical examination and ask questions about your child's medical history. This information can help your health professional identify developmental patterns and assess whether any underlying conditions, such as hearing loss, are interfering with development.

Your health professional may also recommend other tests to:

• Rule out underlying conditions. For example, hearing tests conducted by an audiologist may be recommended to rule out hearing loss. Even a small amount of hearing loss in very young children (from birth to 3 years) may cause speech and language development problems.
• Specifically assess speech and language developmental progress. Questionnaires and evaluations by a speech-language pathologist can help define where your child's abilities are in relation to other children of the same age.
• Determine whether other problems, such as behavioural difficulties or developmental delays in other areas, are also occurring.

Who to See

Your family doctor, general practitioner, or pediatrician can diagnose speech and language problems and may work with other health professionals to treat them:

Speech-language pathologists treat children with speech and language delays.

Other professionals may be involved in the care of children with speech and language delays:

• Hearing specialist (audiologist)
• Ear specialist (otolaryngologist)
• Mental health professional (psychologist, psychiatric nurse, social worker, professional counsellor)
• Occupational therapist and physiotherapist
• Teacher

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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH Carrie Henley	Last Updated: February 23, 2007
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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