A child may need speech therapy when they’re well behind other children their age in talking or understanding, when they’re hard to understand for their age, or when they’ve stopped using words they used to say. A speech pathologist can tell after an assessment whether a child is a late talker who will catch up or needs support.
Children learn to talk at different rates, even within the same family, so a slower start isn’t always a problem. But waiting too long can mean missing the years when support makes the biggest difference.
What’s the difference between a speech delay and a language delay?
People often use “speech delay” for any problem with talking, but professionals separate a few different things:
- A language delay is when a child has unusual difficulty understanding or using words and sentences for their age
- A speech disorder is when a child has trouble making the sounds in words, so their speech is hard to understand
- A developmental language disorder is when language difficulties continue past about age 3 to 3½ and affect everyday life
A child can have one of these, or more than one. For example, a child might understand everything but be very hard to understand, or speak clearly but only in two-word phrases when other children use full sentences. The Raising Children Network explains these differences in more detail.
What are the signs of a speech or language delay?
Professionals suggest getting advice if a child shows any of these signs:
- By 6 months, not making eye contact or looking when their name is called
- By 12 months, not playing turn-taking games like peekaboo, or not trying to communicate with sounds, gestures or words
- By 18 months, not saying single words or responding to simple instructions like “wave bye-bye”
- By 2 years, not using about 50 words or putting two words together, like “more drink”
- By about 3 years, not combining words into longer sentences, asking questions or following two-step instructions
- At any age, losing words or skills they used to have
A child whose speech is still very hard for unfamiliar people to understand by age 3 to 4 is also worth checking.
Is my child a late talker or is it something more?
Late talking is common. About 1 in 3 children shows signs of language delay around age 2, and most late talkers catch up by age 4. The catch is that it’s hard to know which children will catch up on their own and which won’t.
That’s why it’s worth asking early rather than waiting. An assessment can’t do harm, and if a child does need help, starting sooner is better.
Learning more than one language at home doesn’t cause speech or language delays. Bilingual children can seem to start a little slower, but that isn’t considered a delay.
What causes speech delays?
In many children there’s no known cause. Delays are more common in boys, in children with a close family member who had speech or language difficulties, and in children with ongoing ear infections.
Hearing is one of the most important things to check. Repeated middle ear infections and glue ear can muffle sound while a child is learning to talk. These are usually treatable, and when treated early, they rarely cause lasting problems.
A speech or language delay can also be one sign of a broader difference in development, such as autism, intellectual disability or global developmental delay, which isn’t the same as autism. In autistic toddlers, the early signs of Level 2 autism often include delayed speech alongside differences in play and social connection. A speech delay on its own doesn’t mean a child is autistic.
What does a speech pathologist do?
A speech pathologist (sometimes called a speech therapist) assesses how a child understands and uses language, how clearly they speak, and how they communicate without words. They’ll usually recommend a hearing test with an audiologist too.
If a child needs support, therapy is usually play-based and involves parents. A speech pathologist might:
- Work on understanding, vocabulary and putting words together
- Practise particular speech sounds
- Introduce other ways to communicate, such as signs, pictures or a speech-generating device
- Show parents and educators what to do at home and at kinder
Using signs or pictures doesn’t stop a child from learning to talk. For many children, it reduces frustration while spoken words catch up.
Families can find a local professional through Speech Pathology Australia’s directory or ask their GP or maternal and child health nurse for a referral.
How can parents help at home?
Everyday moments do a lot of the work. Healthdirect suggests simple habits like these:
- Talk about what you’re doing and what your child is looking at
- Sing songs and nursery rhymes, and play games like peekaboo
- Look at picture books together and talk about the pictures
- Let your child lead, and build on what they say, so “car” becomes “Yes, a red car”
- Give them time to answer before you jump in
- Repeat words correctly instead of correcting them or making them say it again
- Keep screen time within recommended limits
Can the NDIS fund speech therapy?
Yes, for children who are eligible. Children younger than 6 with developmental delay, or younger than 9 with disability, can get support through the NDIS early childhood approach, often without a formal diagnosis. Early childhood partners can connect families with short-term early supports, and children who join the NDIS can have speech pathology funded in their plan.
Under the current NDIS pricing, a speech pathologist can charge up to $193.99 an hour for NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. The NDIS price guide explains how these limits work.
Some children with milder needs may get help through Thriving Kids, a government program outside the NDIS that started rolling out on 1 October 2026. As it expands, state and territory services will include speech therapy for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs.
How can a speech delay affect behaviour?
When a child can’t say what they want or what’s wrong, frustration often comes out in other ways. A toddler who can’t ask for a break might hit, bite, scream or throw themselves on the floor. This isn’t naughtiness. The behaviour is doing a job that words can’t do yet.
Teaching another way to communicate often helps behaviour as much as language. A child who learns to sign “help”, hand over a picture card or say “stop” has less need to hit. Positive Behaviour Support looks at what a behaviour is doing for a child and what to teach instead, while ABA therapy can build communication skills in small, practised steps. For young children, a key worker can help speech goals and behaviour goals work together, so the family isn’t juggling separate advice.
Getting started with Helping Hands Behaviour Support
Helping Hands Behaviour Support (HHBS) is an NDIS-registered provider specialising in Positive Behaviour Support, ABA therapy and early childhood intervention. We support children with speech and language delays, autism and developmental delay, as well as older children and adults, at home or at school, working alongside their speech pathologist. We can work with NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed plans.
If your child has NDIS funding for early childhood supports or therapy, call us on 0452 423 822 or send us a message, and we’ll help you build communication and everyday skills at home and at kinder. Support coordinators can make a referral online.
This article is general information about speech and language development, not an assessment of any child. If you’re worried about your child’s speech, talk to your GP, maternal and child health nurse or a speech pathologist.
