Oral language delay: identifying and stimulating development
The oral language delay is one of the most common reasons for consultation in speech therapy. It is characterized by a delay in language acquisition compared to children of the same age. This guide presents developmental milestones, warning signs, and stimulation strategies to implement daily.
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Daily picture bookVocabulary games
Illustrated nursery rhymes
Normal language development
Before discussing delay, it is essential to know the typical developmental milestones. Note that these ages are averages with a wide normal variability:
| Age | Understanding | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| 0-6 months | Reacts to voice, intonations | Coos, vocalizations |
| 6-12 months | Understands "no", their name, a few words | Diverse babbling ("bababa", "mamama") |
| 12-18 months | Understands 50-100 words, simple instructions | First words (1-20 words) |
| 18-24 months | Understands simple sentences, questions | 50-200 words, beginning of combinations (2 words) |
| 2-3 years | Understands complex instructions, simple stories | 3-4 word sentences, expanding vocabulary |
| 3-4 years | Understands everyday language | Complete sentences, conjugation, narration |
When do we talk about delay?
We talk about language delay when the child shows a significant gap compared to these milestones, in the absence of an obvious cause (deafness, intellectual disability, neurological disorder).
⚠️ Warning signs at each age
- 12 months: No babbling, does not respond to their name
- 18 months: No words, does not point
- 24 months: Fewer than 50 words, no 2-word combinations
- 3 years: Speech incomprehensible to strangers, no sentences
- 4 years: Difficulties in storytelling, significant grammatical errors
- At any age: Regression (loss of acquired words), significant comprehension difficulties
Simple delay vs Language disorder
It is important to distinguish:
| Simple delay | Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) |
|---|---|
| Delay in time | Structural and persistent disorder |
| Catches up with stimulation | Persists despite intervention |
| All components affected uniformly | Dissociated profile (strengths and weaknesses) |
| Relatively preserved understanding | Understanding often affected as well |
| Good prognosis | Requires long-term follow-up |
Only a speech therapy assessment can differentiate these two situations and guide management.
Possible causes of delay
- Environmental factors: insufficient stimulation, excessive screen exposure, poorly managed bilingualism
- Hearing disorders: recurrent ear infections, undetected mild deafness
- Medical factors: prematurity, early pathologies, hospitalizations
- Genetic factors: family history of language disorders
- Associated disorders: ASD, intellectual disability, oral-motor disorder
Stimulating language daily
💬 Good stimulation practices
- Talk a lot to the child, describe what you are doing, name objects
- Get down to their level: physically (face to face) and linguistically (adapt your language)
- Follow their interest: talk about what interests them
- Rephrase rather than correct: if they say "broken car", respond "yes, the car is broken"
- Read books together every day, even briefly
- Sing nursery rhymes, play with sounds
- Wait: give them time to respond, do not speak for them
- Do not force them to repeat, avoid "say..." or "repeat..."
What hinders language development
- Excessive screen exposure (especially before age 3)
- Anticipation of needs: guessing what they want without them needing to speak
- Excessive pressure, forcing them to repeat
- Noisy environment, multiple simultaneous stimuli
- Lack of quality interactions (conversations, play)
Our downloadable tools
🖼️ Daily picture book
Images to enrich vocabulary: household items, food, animals, actions. Supports for naming and showing.
Download🎲 Vocabulary games
Fun activities to learn new words: bingo, memory, riddles. Several themes available.
Download🎵 Illustrated nursery rhymes
Classic nursery rhymes with illustrations and gestures. Promote rhythm, memory, and enjoyment of language.
Download📖 Simple sequential images
Short stories in 3-4 images to tell. Develops vocabulary and narrative structure.
DownloadWhen and whom to consult?
If in doubt about language development:
- General practitioner or pediatrician: for a general assessment and a prescription
- Speech therapist: for an assessment and possible management
- ENT: to check hearing (systematic!)
- Child welfare services: free consultations for children under 6
Do not wait "to see if it passes." Early intervention is always more effective than late intervention. Better to consult for nothing than to miss a disorder.
Frequently asked questions
At 2 years old, we generally expect at least 50 words and the beginning of 2-word combinations. A very limited vocabulary at this age can be a simple delay that will catch up, or a sign of a more persistent disorder. In any case, a speech therapy consultation is recommended to assess the situation and provide stimulation advice.
Screens do not directly cause a language disorder, but excessive exposure (especially before age 3) can worsen or reveal difficulties. Screens replace human interactions, which are essential for language development. A child learns to speak by interacting with people, not by watching a screen.
This is likely a articulation or phonology disorder rather than a language delay. The child has the vocabulary and syntax but the sounds are mispronounced or distorted. Targeted speech therapy focused on pronunciation is then indicated.
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