Signs of Speech and Language Disorders

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Know the Signs of Speech and Language Disorders

Signs of common speech and language disorders in adults and children between birth to 4 years of age, an important stage in early detection of communication disorders.

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Children: Signs of a Language Disorder

  • Does not smile or interact with others (birth and older)
  • Does not babble (4-7 months)
  • Makes only a few sounds or gestures, like pointing (7-12 months)
  • Does not understand what others say (7 months-2 years)
  • Says only a few words (12-18 months)
  • Words are not easily understood (18 months-2 years)
  • Does not put words together to make sentences (1.5-3 years)
  • Has trouble playing and talking with other children (2-3 years)
  • Has trouble with early reading and writing skills* (2.5-3 years)

*Early reading and writing skills include:
8 months–1 year: Likes to hear you talk and read; looks at pictures in books when you read
1–2 years: Makes sounds or words when looking at pictures in books; points or touches pictures in books when you name them; turns pages in books
2–3 years: Knows that books have a front and back; enjoys books that have rhymes; points to and names many pictures in books

What Parents Can Do


Children: Signs of a Speech Sound Disorder

  • Says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly in words (1-2 years)
  • Says k, g, f, t, d, and n incorrectly in words (2-3 years)
  • Produces speech that is unclear, even to familiar people (2-3 years)
What Parents Can Do


Children Signs of Stuttering (Disfluency)

  • Repeats first sounds of words—“b-b-b-ball” for “ball”
  • Speech breaks while trying to say a word—“—–boy” for “boy”
  • Stretches sounds out—“ffffff-farm” for “farm”
  • Shows frustration when trying to get words out
What Parents Can Do


Children: Signs of a Voice Disorder

  • Uses a hoarse or breathy voice
  • Uses a nasal-sounding voice
What Parents Can Do


Adults: Signs of Speech & Language Disorders

  • Struggles to say sounds or words (stuttering)
  • Repetition of words or parts of words (stuttering)
  • Speaks in short, fragmented phrases (expressive aphasia)
  • Says words in the wrong order (expressive aphasia)
  • Struggles with using words and understanding others (global aphasia)
  • Difficulty imitating speech sounds (apraxia)
  • Inconsistent errors (apraxia)
  • Slow rate of speech (apraxia)
  • Slurred speech (dysarthria)
  • Slow or rapid rate of speech, often with a mumbling quality (dysarthria)


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