speech exercises for 4 year old

4-Year-Old Speech Milestones

What is Normal Speech for a 4-Year-old?

Communicating with our loved ones is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of life, and watching our children learn and grow in their speech and language skills can be fun and exciting. It is also normal for parents to worry and wonder about their child’s development, and whether they are learning and growing as they should. Milestones are meant to be used as a guideline and learning tool, not as a tool to diagnose or identify a possible delay or impairment. It is always important to remember that children develop differently, varying greatly in the age at which they reach these milestones and the order in which they are reached. Some children may have mastered only a few of these, while others may master all of them by the time they reach their 5th birthday. 

Should a 4-year-old speak clearly? What should a 4-year-old be saying?

By their 5th birthday, the majority of children are able to speak clearly enough to be understood by strangers. They are also saying all speech sounds, often with some mistakes on sounds that are more difficult to say such as , s, v, z, r, ch, sh, and th. Some children will also at times mispronounce words that are longer or more complicated by leaving out a syllable or sound. For the most part, children this age are able to speak without repeating words or syllables. 

What other Milestones should my 4 Year Old be Reaching?

Some of the other milestones related to speech and language your 4-year-old may be practicing or has already mastered are:

Vocabulary/Grammar

• Understands and uses joining words such as “or” “and” and “but” 
• Expresses and understands the words for more complicated emotions such as “frustrated” and “upset”
• Is forming sentences that include 5 or more words
• Properly employs the use of 1000 words or more
• Uses the past tense correctly

Concept Development 

• Understands words referring to order like first, last, and next 
• Uses and understands words referring to time such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, 
• Are beginning to understand some common turns of phrase such as “Don’t be a stick in the mud” or “That is a hoot!”
• May begin to make up silly stories, play with words and tell jokes

Listening and Following Directions

• Can follow longer instructions with multiple steps, even if it is their first time in a particular situation
• Can follow instructions in the classroom such as “Draw a circle with your favorite color” 
• Listens and comprehends most of what they hear at home and school 
• They will respond to questions such as “What did you say?” 

Social/Conversational/Storytelling

• Has an increased understanding of the flow of conversation and allows others the opportunity to speak 
• Speaks with an appropriate volume and intonation for the situation
• Story-telling abilities are continuing to develop, and your child will start to add more relevant details, though they may not yet recount events in the correct order
• Possesses an increased understanding and appreciation of other people’s perspectives and points of view
• Has learned to make requests using polite words such as “may I…” as well as employing the regular use of please and thank you

When should I worry about my child’s speech and language development?

It is normal and common for parents and caregivers to worry about their child’s speech and language development. There are a few “red flags” that you can watch for as you observe your child. Some of these are:

• They stop using a speech or language skill they had previously used or mastered 
• You are struggling to understand them due to stuttering or unclear speech
• You are concerned about their hearing
• They are having trouble following instructions
• They are struggling to learn preschool concepts such as shapes and colors
• Their vocabulary isn’t growing 

How can I support my 4-year-olds speech and language development?

At this age, talking about opposites such as big and small, loud and quiet, and up and down, is a great exercise. You can also spend time introducing spatial concepts such as left and right, front and back, and in and out. Children are learning about categories at this age as well, so naming fruits, or animals is a fun and beneficial activity. Playing games like I Spy and asking your child to explain how a game works are also great exercises. Read stories and act out scenarios that explore different relationships such as student/teacher or doctor/patient.

Learning to play board games can also be a great tool for teaching concepts such as taking turns, and following rules.

Spend time talking about the events and routine of your day, or about the tv shows or movies they may be enjoying. Include them in simple activities such as writing a grocery list or helping to plan a party. It is also very important to encourage your child to ask for help when they are confused or unclear about the meaning of a word or an instruction. 

Most importantly, speak in the manner and language that is most natural to you and listen with your full attention when your child speaks to you. Teach them that they have a voice and what they say matters. 

If your child is struggling with some of these skills, it does not necessarily mean they have a speech sound disorder or language delay. Many children are skilled in other areas, artistically or athletically for example, and so they will naturally dedicate more time and focus on mastering physical or creative skills. As a result, they may unconsciously neglect the practice of speech and language skills. This is normal. Once again, it is always important to remember that skills develop over time, and at varying ages. If you are at all concerned about your child’s development, there is support and resources available.

Seeking the guidance and support of an experienced Speech and Language pathologist can be incredibly useful, even for children that are developing as they should. Taking the appointments online can also offer innovative, fun, and interactive therapeutic activities and a treatment program completely customized for your child. If you want to connect your child with one of our highly specialized and experienced speech therapists, schedule your free introductory call today. We look forward to hearing from you.

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50 fun and easy articulation activities for speech therapy.

Articulation cards are a staple in Speech Therapy rooms. Articulation Flash Cards can be used in so many ways with preschoolers and elementary students... buuuttt sometimes they can get boring and repetitive. Check out these articulation card ideas to bring some new and exciting speech therapy activities into your therapy room! You can use these ideas in group therapy or in one-on-one sessions or even send them home for easy articulation homework ideas!

WHAT’S THERE?: Place 5 cards around the room. Ask the child to find and label the card in a particular place. For example, “What is beside the lamp?” -> “ Bee!”

MAKE A ROAD: Place target cards on the floor around the room. Drive cards over the cards. If you have a toy tractor, you can load the cards into the tractor.

FEED THE PUPPET: Feed a puppet the target cards.

FLASHLIGHT HUNT: Pin the cards around a room. Turn the lights off and give the child a flashlight to find the cards.

IS IT A ___?: Ask the child if a card is an item. For example, “Is it a cat?”. You can use the carrier phrases, “No! It’s a ____” or “Yes! It’s a ___.” Have the child complete the blank.

MUSICAL CHAIRS: Place cards on the floor. Play music and when it stops, have the child find a card to sit on.

TAKE PICTURES: Use a camera/phone to take pictures of the cards. Kids find this incredibly motivating!

BOWLING: Put the cards in paper bags. Take turns rolling a ball to knock over the ‘pins’. Say the word when you knock over a bag.

OBSTACLE COURSE: Make an obstacle course out of items that you have. Make sure to go under, over, and between objects! Place cards throughout the obstacle to practice along the way.

‘BUY’ THE CARDS: Play store! Use pretend money and have the child ‘buy’ the cards.

BEAN BAG TOSS: Place cards on the floor. Have the child throw a bean bag on the cards. For more trials, the child can also tell you which card they are aiming at.

BALL POPPER: Stand the cards up using binder clips, or stick them to a wall. Use a ball popper (or bubbles) to aim for the cards.

HOPSCOTCH: Make a hopscotch board out of tape on the floor. Place a card in each square. Say the word when you land on it.

SENSORY BIN: Place the cards in a bin filled with cotton balls, pom poms, and cut up straws - or anything you can think of! Have the child find the items using tongs or tweezers.

JENGA: Place cards between the layers of blocks.

FLY SWATTER: Place the cards around the room. Give the child a fly swatter and have the child ‘swat’ each card. Kids love running between the cards!

TELL SOMEONE: Bring the cards to show the child’s teacher/friend. Ask the student to label each card.

WHAT AM I DRAWING?: Place the cards face up, in front of you and the child. Take turns drawing one of the items. See if you can guess what it is!

HIDE UNDER CUPS: Hide the cards under plastic cups.

SNOWBALL FIGHT: Place the cards upright using binder clips. Use scrunched up paper balls to knock the cards over.

HIDE IN BOOKS: Hide cards in books. You can use Sticky Tack (or hide under flaps!) to stick the cards to the pages. Say the word when you flip to the page the card is on.

HANG AND CATCH: This activity takes a little more prep but it is so fun! Hang string with paper clips from the ceiling. Attach cards and have your students pull the cards off the string.

PLAYDOUGH: Smoosh play dough on the card each time you say the word (make sure your cards are laminated!).

TIC TAC TOE: Print a few copies of your articulation cards and play tic tac toe! Give each player 6 copies of a card.

MAKE A SHAPE: Make different shapes with your cards (square, circle, triangle).

HOPPING: Place the cards around the room on the ground. Hop from one card to another.

SIMPLE DRILL: Pair your card with a drill card and cover each number with a token or a mini object.

ROLL AND SAY: Roll a dice. Say the word the number of times indicated on the dice.

MEMORY: Print two sets of cards and play memory.

GO FISH: Use two sets of cards to play Go Fish.

MEMORY GAME: Place several cards face up on the table. Have the child study the cards. Flip them face down and see how many card the child can remember.

FISHING: Use a magnet and paper clips to create a fishing game.

WHAT’S MISSING: Put 2 or 3 cards on table, face up. Let the child take a quick peek and then close their eyes. Take one card away or turns one card over. Ask the child to guess which one is missing.

MAIL CARDS: Make a mailbox out of a tissue box. “Mail” the cards to family and friends.

EGG CARTON TOSS: Place one card in each section of the carton. Have the child toss a coin into the carton. Say the word on the card where the coin landed.

TELL A STORY: Use several cards to create a story. (This is best for conversation level).

SILLY SENTENCES: Make a silly sentence with each card.

POP IT: Use a Pop it fidget toy and have the child push one section each time they say the word.

USE CLOTHESPINS: Have the child place a clothespin on the card each time they say the word.

COLOR AND CREATE: Use black and white Articulation Cards. Allow the child to color and create their own set that they can use and take home! (My Articulation cards come in black and white and color for this purpose!)

BURY AND FIND: Bury cards under pom poms, cotton balls, or sand. Have the student use a shovel or tongs to find the cards/

BUCKET TOSS: Place cards in buckets. Throw crumbled paper or a ball in to the bucket.

MINI OBJECTS: Lay your cards on the table and cover them with mini objects. Simple but effective!

BUBBLE BLOW: Place cards on the wall using sticky tack or Painter’s Tape. Blow bubbles onto the cards. Say the word when the bubble lands on it.

MICROPHONE/TELEPHONE: Say your words into a telephone or toy microphone. You could also use paper towel rolls.

HOLE PUCH: Print Black and White Cards and hole punch the cards each time you say the word.

MAGNET WAND: Use a magnet wand and magnetic chips. Place a chip on each card the you say the word. Use the wand to pick up all the chips when you are done!

BLOCKS & CARDS: Place a block ad then lay a card on top. Continue until the tower tumbles. See how high you can build the tower before it falls!

SPOON RACE: Place the card on a spoon and see how fast you can make it across the room. Say the word when you place the card on the spoon.

FEED ANIMALS: Use toy animals and have them ‘eat’ the cards. Kids think this is hilarious!

I hope you find these articulation therapy ideas helpful. I know I am always looking for ways to mix it up and keep my students engaged.

The key to all sessions (in my opinion) is to allow a LOT of choices. If you want an Articulation Activity Choice Board (it includes 30 of the no-prep activities listed here ), sign up for my email list (link below) and you’ll get instant access!

If you're looking for some bright and colourful (and black and white) articulation cards, make sure to check out my Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy!

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100+ fun activities for kids that will keep them entertained for hours! Target speech development through play and games. They won’t even know they are learning!

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We help kids speak no matter their speech challenges! Speech therapists advise parents about late talkers, speech delay, stuttering, apraxia, articulation, and other speech impediments.

From your first worry to your first appointment, and your last speech therapy session – find the information you need to help your child thrive and gain necessary speech skills.

Parent's Academy › Speech Disorders › Speech Sound Disorders › 5 Kids Games for Articulation Therapy

5 Kids Games for Articulation Therapy

Stacie bennett.

Speech-Language Pathologist , Trenton , New Jersey

Feb 12, 2022 Parents often struggle to think of creative and fun ways to keep their children engaged in articulation practice. Here are some great games that you can utilize even if your child has trouble sitting still!

If your child is getting articulation therapy in the school setting, this means they are working on specific sounds that are not coming out clear when they communicate.

If your child has difficulties with certain sounds in words, here are the articles that can help you with speech therapy and articulation activities ideas:

• Articulation Therapy: An All-in-One Guide for Parents
• B Sound Articulation Therapy
• H Sound Articulation Therapy
• JJ and CH Sounds Articulation Therapy
• L Sound Articulation Therapy
• Lisp Articulation Therapy
• M Sound Articulation Therapy
• N Sound Articulation Therapy
• NG Sound Articulation Therapy
• R Sound Articulation Therapy
• S Sound Articulation Therapy
• SH Sound Articulation Therapy
• T and D Sounds Articulation Therapy
• W Sound Articulation Therapy

As a private speech therapist, I always give my families handouts and worksheets that they can do at home, but those can get boring and redundant after a while. You can keep them entertained with articulation practice while they learn. Check our list of articulation games below!

1. Fortune-Tellers

These little games are also called ‘Cootie Catchers.’ If you grew up in the last several decades, then you are probably familiar with the folded up version that helps you find out who your next boyfriend or girlfriend will be.

Pick a number and count, then pick a color and spell it out. Open up the flap to reveal who your next crush will be. Remember them? 

Fortune tellers can now be made into a simple and fun articulation game to be used with speech language clients and students. They are simple to make, and can be engaging and fun for both the Speech-Language Pathologist and the student. Plus, you already have the materials at home, so they are inexpensive and readily available.

You can create fortune-tellers for practicing R, L, S, Z, SH, CH, TH, R-blends, L-blends, S-blends in each position: beginning, middle, and end. 

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2. Flip Books

These will require a little more time, but are still a relatively simple activity to do with your kids. Flip books are easy to make and ready at a moment’s notice when a Speech-Language Pathologist or parent needs an activity in a pinch. Whether you make your own or purchase one of the many options available, flip books provide a simple way for those working on providing articulation learning activities.

If you want to make your own, but don’t know where to start, Amazon actually sells flip book kits that you can do with your child.

If you are artistically inclined, which I am not, feel free to draw them yourself. Make sure to put pictures with the sounds that you are targeting and that the sound is in all positions of the words. As your child progresses, you can use the same books to work on phrases, sentences, and conversation so you can keep and reuse them for a while!

3. Articulation Battleship

Older students will love this articulation version of the Milton Bradley game Battle Ship. Using a template provided by Sublimespeech.com , the coordinates of the board are made up of articulation words .

Students take turns saying two words which provide coordinates for their guess. As the parent, you can create different boards for different sounds and provide those boards specific to the student’s needs.

4. Articulation Bowling

Some children struggle with sitting still through an entire articulation therapy session. For these students, having a more physical game can be beneficial for learning – that’s where Articulation Bowling comes in.

To play, you will use a set of articulation cards for the sounds being worked on that day. Set up the cards in the formation of bowling pins.

You can google articulation cards for whatever sound that your child is working on and a ton will pop right up!

A plastic bowling pin will then be placed on top of each card. Once the student throws the plastic bowling ball at the pins and knocks them over, the student will then read the words on the cards for each pin that was knocked over. Check out Amazon for cheap bowling pins and use whatever ball you have at home!

This game is great because it keeps students moving and learning at the same time. In addition, because the student gets a higher score for knocking over more pins, they will then get more word practice as well.

5. Pizza Delivery

This is another great articulation game for students who need to be more physical. Pizza Delivery combines several other types of learning along with articulation. While setup for this game may take a bit more work on the front end, the tools can be laminated and incorporated over and over. If you don’t have a laminator, they sell sheets online that are basically the same thing, but you won’t need the machine. 

Using masking tape or painters tape, develop a series of “roads” on the floor. Then create houses and street signs. Each street can be named using words with sounds the student is currently working to master. If you don’t want to do that, then use different objects in your house to represent the houses and street signs.

Using a toy car, the child must “deliver” a pizza to the correct house using the directions given and pronouncing the street names as he drives on them. For complete instructions visit Notimeforflashcards.com .

In any event, if you think your child is having a difficult time with certain speech sounds, or that (s)he might have an articulation disorder, contact your local speech-language pathologist as soon as possible.

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The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Blub Blub Inc. All content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgement, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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What to Expect: Your Four-Year-Old’s Speech Milestones

Your Four-Year-Old’s Speech Milestones. Image source: teachtofeed.com

When it comes to speech and language skills, every child develops at a different rate. That being said, there are some generally predictable milestones that each child achieves as they grow and learn. It usually takes about 8 years for a child to master all the speech sounds in the English language.

Although there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, there are 44 distinct sounds!

According to Heidi Hanks, M.S.CCC-SLP, founder of Little Bee Speech, and the terrific website Mommy Speech Therapy , one way to determine if your child’s speech is progressing at a normal rate is using what is called “speech sound norms.” According to Heidi, speech sound norms are tools that speech language pathologists (SLP’s) use to help guide them in determining which errors are developmentally appropriate and which errors are not. There are multiple speech sound norms that are currently being used by SLP’s all around the world.

How do you know what these “speech sound norms” are, or what exactly your four-year-old’s speech milestones should be?  Here are a few expectations or norms to review to ensure that your child’s speech habits are meeting the general guidelines. For more detailed information about speech sound expectations at every age, Heidi Hanks has an excellent  Speech Sound Development Chart .

What to Expect: Your Four-Year-Old’s Speech Milestones:

• By age 3, most children can make vowel sounds and pronounce the consonants p, b, m, n, d, g and h. At ages 4 and into age 5, look for him to pronounce more complex consonant and blend sounds like k, t, f, v, j, th, ng, ch and sh .
• Language language skills of your four-year-old are expanding rapidly at this point. Expect your child to begin communicating in complex and compound sentences , and expand his vocabulary daily.
• Your four-year-old should be able to initiate conversations and is  less likely to change the subject of conversation to areas of personal interest.
• Four-year-olds are building their knowledge of written language. By the end of his fourth year, expect your child to be able to understand that letters represent the sounds in spoken words and may associate some letters with their sounds .
• Most children are also capable of writing some legible letters and know that writing goes from left-to-right and top to bottom.
• Your child should be easy to understand all of the time, although he or she may experience a few articulation errors such as substituting “w’ for “r” (for example saying wabbit instead of rabbit).   Or substituting a “b” instead of a “v” (for example saying bideo instead of video).

If your four-year-old fails to meet these general guidelines, or continues to have trouble pronouncing sounds correctly as she gets older,  she may have a speech disorder. Use these guidelines or norms to assess your child and if it sounds like you’re missing a milestone, check-in with your pediatrician.

The  American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association  has more information on the topic or try our quick diagnostic to figure out what your next step would be:  Diagnose Your Child’s Speech Challenge: Our Free Guide.

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How to Do Speech Therapy at Home

iStockphoto / Mordolff

Like any other skill acquired in childhood, learning how to communicate clearly—both in terms of how you speak and the words you choose—is one that develops over the course of many months and years. Some kids begin babbling away early in toddlerhood while others remain the strong and silent type until they’re more comfortable with speech patterns.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), most children begin talking between 1 and 2 years of age. By age 2, most kids have a vast foundation of words to work with (think “ball,” “dog,” “Mama” or “Dada,” “cup,” “eat”) and are often putting words together into two-word questions and sentences.

If your child doesn’t seem to be falling within the range of normal for speech, it may not be a sign of a speech or language delay , but it also may be appropriate to begin engaging in some simple speech exercises with your child at home.

At-home speech therapy can be especially helpful for kids who aren’t easily frustrated and who have only mild delays or articulation errors, said Massachusetts-based pediatric speech therapist Alyssa Gusenoff. More serious problems, like speech regressions, should be brought up with a licensed speech therapist.

Here is a guide to performing basic speech therapy at home with your child, from first steps all the way through seeking outside help.

Assess Your Options 

There’s no reason to go it alone when it comes to speech therapy if there are resources in your community that can assist you. First, you should consult with your child’s pediatrician if you feel that your child has a speech delay or articulation issue. A pediatrician can share developmental milestones for speech and let you know if your child is actually struggling.

“It’s important to know what’s developmentally appropriate for speech and what’s simply parent-preferred,” Gusenoff said. “Parents without a pediatric background may not realize that 4 year olds don’t need the 'r' sound yet.”

Gusenoff said that many communities offer early intervention services for children who aren’t yet school-aged. If your child is already enrolled in school, your district may employ a speech therapist who can help you, too. Don’t be shy—ask around to see what’s available. Many services are provided free of charge for town residents.

Assess Your Child

If you’ve decided to try at-home speech therapy (either in lieu of professional services or, perhaps, while you wait for a therapist to become available), what works for your child will depend on several things.

Younger children will have a hard time focusing and concentrating on anything you call “therapy.” You can try to keep things fun and light, but a child too little to understand he’s making speech errors may not be receptive to correcting them. An older child can be more motivated to improve their speech because it means they will be better understood by peers and caregivers.

Temperament

Again, kids who are not easily frustrated are more likely to work on speech with a parent. Kids with a low frustration tolerance may view therapy as a negative experience.

Type of Speech Involvement Needed

There will be different approaches to therapy if your child has a speech delay (they have far fewer words than they should at their age) versus an articulation problem (they make a “t” sound instead of a hard “c” sound). 

Co-Existing Conditions

If your child is simply behind in this one area, it may be easier for you to slowly catch them up over time at home. If a speech issue occurs along with another developmental condition, like autism, you may want to seek professional help.

Experiment with At-Home Methods

Once you’re ready to forge ahead, you can try a variety of approaches to helping your child improve their speech. Here are some of Gusenoff’s favorite strategies.

Stop Anticipating Your Child’s Needs

It’s tempting, we know, to jump for what your child wants whenever they simply point at it—but doing so doesn’t encourage them to use their words. Give them a chance to ask for the pretzels, Gusenoff said, rather than grabbing them as soon as your child points to the cabinet.

Minimize Pacifier Usage

If your older toddler or preschooler is still using a pacifier, it can be very hard to break the habit , but it’s also very hard to talk with a pacifier in your mouth, so continuing to use one when speech is developing can interrupt the process.

Offer Choices

Instead of saying, “What would you like to drink?” ask your child “Would you like milk or juice?” A child struggling to build vocabulary will benefit from hearing the options and being able to choose one, rather than being expected to pull the correct word out of thin air. 

Increase Visibility

“When you say the name of an object, hold the object up towards your mouth so your child sees your mouth move,” Gusenoff recommended. This creates an immediate visual connection between the object and the way the word for that object is formed in the mouth.

Take turns repeating words to each other (example: “I’ll say ‘apple’ and then you say ‘apple.’ Ready? ‘Apple.’ Your turn!”). Peek-a-boo games also encourage speech by keeping a child’s attention, as do hiding games. Gusenoff said hiding objects around the house, like hiding small objects inside playdough, and keeping objects reserved inside containers can all encourage kids to ask questions, make exclamations, and request assistance.

Prompt and Withhold (Within Reason)

If your child is struggling because they simply haven’t had a lot of opportunities to practice various types of speech, you’ll have to learn to get comfortable making them feel mildly un comfortable sometimes. Don’t push your child to the brink of tears, but it’s okay to pause or hang back to see if your child can eventually solve their own problem when they need something.

For example, Gusenoff said you can help your child put on one shoe—then get up and walk away. Does your child call after you to get your attention? If so, ask him what he needs (you know the answer, but pretend like you don’t!). The goal here is to encourage your child to communicate for himself, rather than always relying on you to do all the talking.

Most children learn best when things are repeated over and over (and over!) again, and that’s often true for speech as well. When your child says a word correctly, repeat it back to him in a positive tone. If your child makes an articulation error, Gusenoff said, repeat it back to them incorrectly so they can hear what they actually said versus what they think they said. Some kids may not realize they’re making an error until mom or dad repeats it back to them!

Make Lots of Observations

Now that you’re spending dedicated time at home on speech therapy, it’s important to start tracking your child’s progress. Gusenoff said it’s easy to forget or overlook where your child is starting out when learning a new skill, meaning you can underestimate the amount of progress they’ve made. Keep a record or log so you can visually track your efforts.

Gusenoff also recommends paying attention to what words you can understand from your child compared with what a grandparent, for example, and a total stranger can understand. There will be differences between those three metrics (i.e. you can understand 75 percent, your mother-in-law can understand 50 percent, and a stranger can understand 25 percent), but there shouldn’t be enormous gaps between each tier. According to Nemours, most people—regardless of how well they know your child—should be able to understand the majority of your child's speech by the time they turn 4.

Know Your Limitations

It’s important to understand that you may be able to guide and assist your child at home, helping to develop much-needed skills, but you may not be able to correct more significant problems without a professional. It’s one thing to help your child say his “d” and “b” sounds more clearly, but it’s another thing to teach him how to form more complex sounds involving the tongue or back of the throat.

Gusenoff added that kids who are very frustrated by their speech problems, who regress or don’t make any progress, who grope for sounds but are unable to move their mouths, and kids who experience quality of life issues because of communication errors or delays are not the best candidates for at-home speech therapy and would benefit from professional help.

If you’ve reached the limit of what you can provide for your child yourself, try not to take it as a personal offense. Instead, do what you can and then reach out for more help. Your child’s pediatrician is a great place to start—they often know all of the local resources and can point you in the right direction.

American Academy of Pediatrics. Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents .

Nemours Foundation. Delayed Speech or Language Development .

By Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley has been writing parenting content since 2017, after her third son was born. Since then, she has expanded her expertise to write about pregnancy and postpartum, childhood ages and stages, and general health conditions, including commerce articles for health products. Because she has been homeschooling her sons for seven years, she is also frequently asked to share homeschooling tips, tricks, and advice for parenting sites.

41 Free Online Speech Therapy Activities

There are many online speech therapy activities that you can do with your student or child to help them develop their language skills.

These online games and exercises are perfect for the online slps doing teletherapy and will not only be fun for both of you, but they will also provide great benefits for your child’s speech pathology goals and help improve their speech delay!

Fun Games for Online Speech Therapy Activities

In this article, we’ll highlight 41 online resources – including PBS Kids interactive games, Boom Cards, and Pink Cat Games. We hope that these online tools will encourage children to learn about social skills, vocabulary words, communication skills, and more.

The following section is a list of educational games that are great for any speech language pathologist to use during their therapy services.

Collection of Interactive Online Games

Enjoy this list below of online speech therapy games to work on your student’s or child’s speech goals and make your speech therapy session even more fun this school year.

Online Speech Therapy Activities

1. pbs kids.

One of our favorite online resources for speech therapy is the PBS Kids website. This online destination has a variety of fun, interactive games that help children work on their language skills.

Some SLP favorites include: “ Curiou s George Pop the Bubble “, “ Meatball Launcher “, and “ Daniel Tiger Bath Time Helper “.

Do you have students who love to build things? Be sure to check out this list of games: “ Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Sandcastle “, “ Hero Elementary Treehouse Trouble “, “ Hamster Run “, “ Ready Jet Go, Builder “, “ Animal Home Builder “.

All of these games are perfect for children who are in the early intervention stage or those who have autism spectrum disorder. They are also great for helping to build vocabulary skills , story telling , feelings and life skills, such as empathy, respect for others, labeling feelings, as well as others!

2. Boom Learning

Another online resource that we love are Boom Cards.

This online program makes it easy to access educational games that can help your child work on auditory processing skills, receptive and expressive language development, articulation practice, and more!

This online resource is perfect for practicing speech sounds with articulation games, vocabulary words, social skills, and following directions – all of which are important for speech development.

If you’re on the hunt for barrier games be sure to check out Boom Learning then!

SLP favorite free downloads can be found in my list of 917+ free boom cards for speech therapy !

3. pink cat games.

If you’re looking for online resources that are specifically designed for younger children, we highly recommend checking out Pink Cat Games.

This online website has a variety of great games and activities that focus on different language skills, including vocabulary development, following directions and more.

Some of our favorites include: “ Build a Monster “, “ Smarty Pants Animal Race “, and “ Quiz Wheel Game “.

All of these online resources are perfect for children in early intervention or with autism spectrum disorder, as they help to build vocabulary skills, language comprehension abilities, following directions, social communication, and more!

4. Fun Brain

This website has many online activities and games that work on vocabulary, reading comprehension, memory skill development, etc.

These online games are perfect for children who have already developed some language skills, but still need to improve their vocabulary or reading comprehension abilities.

Some of our favorite things on this site are “ Reading “, “ Games “, Grammar Gorillas , Plural Girls to work on plurals , and Simon Sees .

5. Educational Games

If you’re looking for online resources that focus on educational games, we highly recommend checking out Educational Games.

This website has a variety of online activities and games that work on different academic skills, including math, science, grammar, etc.

This online website is perfect for younger children who are just starting to learn their letters and sounds. It has a variety of online games and activities that focus on teaching the alphabet, phonics skills, vocabulary words, etc.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on ABCya! include: “ Make a Cupcake “, “ Make an Ice Cream “, “ Make a Cookie “, “ Make a Pizza “, “ Make a Gingerbread House “, “ Make a Robot “, and “ Let me Grow “.

These online resources are perfect for children who are just starting to learn their letters and sounds, as well as those who need extra practice with their phonics skills. They also work great with younger children in the early intervention stage!

More reinforcement games, such as Happy Clicks, the Game of Battleship, and an Interactive Mr. Potato Head can be found in my list of 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy !

7. Sesame Street Games

This website offers a variety of educational games for children ages two to five. The games are designed to help with skills such as letter recognition, counting, vocabulary, and more.

Here is a list of fan favorites: “ Cooking with Cookie “, “ Ready Set Grow “, “ Brush Those Teeth “, “ Dress up Time! “, and “ Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck “.

There are several possibilities for targeting requesting, commenting and extending utterances.

8. Match the Memory Game

If you’re on the hunt for memory games then this online memory game is a great way to help your child work on their short-term memory abilities.

9. Baamboozle

This online website is fantastic since it offers pre-made games and activities created by other SLPs that you may utilize or develop your own free games.

Simply search the games using the search bar.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on Baamboozle include games with target words: “ Speech Articulation S Sounds ” by lindseycav, “ Articulation of Two or More Syllables Words in GIF ” by Susan Tourdot, and the “ /ch/ Initial Articulation ” by MG.

These online resources are perfect for children who need extra practice with their vocabulary skills or articulation. They also work great with younger children in the early intervention stage!

10. Meddybemps

If you’re looking for online speech therapy activities, look no further than Meddybemps.

They have a great selection of interactive games and activities that are perfect for helping kids with language skills.

Their games are ideal for children with autism spectrum disorder, communication delays, or other speech-language needs.

11. Jeopardy Labs

Jeopardy Labs is a great online resource for speech therapy activities. The website includes interactive games and vocabulary games that are perfect for teletherapy sessions and helping children develop their language skills.

The interactive games on Jeopardy Labs are a great way to help younger children learn new concepts in a fun and engaging way. The games are also a great way to help improve communication skills.

12. Language Play Room

The language playroom is an online learning center for children to help them learn about language.

They have activities that cover a wide variety of concepts, including reading comprehension and phonemic awareness.

13. iSL Collective Video Lessons

If I had a top pick this website would be it! I personally love using videos to make therapy more fun and interactive.

The iSL Collective is a great online resource for speech-language pathologists.

The website includes a variety of video lessons that cover topics such as grammar skills, vocabulary development, body language, and more!

If you also love using more videos in your therapy to make learning more fun then be sure to check out my list of 31 Best Wordless Videos to Teach Problem Solving .

14. Owlie Boo

This website is really easy for parents and therapists to use.

It offers several excellent games for toddlers and reinforcement games, which are also great for practice.

Poki is a great website with activities that are fun and interactive, and the games can be used as reinforcement while your students work on their specific skills or areas of development.

Poki is a great resource for parents, family members, and therapists looking for fun and digital games to use during therapy sessions.

Some favorite board games include: “ Tic Tac Toe “, “ Connect Four “, and “ Snakes and Ladders “.

16. Toy Theater

It has several free interactive games that you can use with your students. They can play along with you if you share your screen and let the student control (Zoom).

If you’re looking for multiplayer be sure to check out the Goose game and Snakes and Ladders game at Toy Theater.

Some of our favorite online speech therapy activities on Toy Theater include “ Stack ” and the “ Classroom Timer “.

17. Room Recess

Room Recess is an educational website that offers educational games and activities for children.

The site is free, easy to use, and provides educational online resources for kids of all ages.

Room Recess has a large library of educational games for early learners from preschool through middle school including a math tab, reading tab, word tab, lab tab, extras tab, and themes tab.

18. Mystery Animal

The Google Mystery Animal is a 20-question quiz. It’s free and very entertaining for all ages and fun for a variety of goals.

Kahoot is a perfect website for high school students or older students and a great way to review material with a class or as a family.

It is an interactive quiz game that can be used for educational purposes. Kahoot offers many different types of games, including vocabulary and grammar exercises.

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy / Teletherapy

20. quizlet.

Quizlet is a website that has a variety of resources for all grade levels, including interactive flashcards and vocabulary games.

Quizlet also offers a great way to study for exams with its “learn” mode. This mode helps you memorize information from a provided list of terms, definitions, and examples.

21. Cookie  

This site has 13+ great language activities that help students build vocabulary in an engaging way.

22. Global Allied Health

This site is divided by goal area.

These online resources are perfect for teachers who have older children in the school-aged stage!

23. Highlights Kids

This website is jam-packed with secret pictures, making it ideal for vocabulary practice or as a fun reinforcement game.

The website is also a great resource for parents and family members who want to help their children with language development or those that are working on improving communication skills.

The types of activities available on Highlights Kids will keep children entertained while they learn at the same time!

There is something for everyone on this website. It is a great resource for parents and speech-language pathologists alike! Check it out today!

The website Quia.com is an educational website that allows you to create online lessons and quizzes for free. This can be a great resource for finding educational games and activities to supplement speech therapy sessions.

Quia offers a variety of different types of educational games and activities, including vocabulary games and interactive activities for younger children.

The website is easy to use and can be accessed from any computer or mobile device.

Here is a fun game for working on multiple meaning words !

25. Wheel of Names

The Wheel of Names is a fun game that is perfect for using it as a spinner.

For example, you can use it to choose who goes next. Or put vocabulary words in the boxes and then spin and have your student define their vocabulary words.

Another idea is to work on synonyms or antonyms. Place different words, such as big or tall in the spinner and then hit spin. The child then says the best synonym or antonym for that word. 

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

26. kids national geographics.

The Kids National Geographic website is a great educational resource for children of all ages.

It features interactive games and activities, educational articles, and videos from the popular magazine.

Children can learn about everything from dinosaurs to space exploration on this website. There are also puzzles and quizzes to help reinforce what kids have learned.

This is a great way to keep children engaged and entertained while learning educational topics.

27. Bou n cy Balls

This is a fun way to manage classroom noise or visualize music.

You can choose from a variety of themes that will help your students visualize the noise in the room!

28. Sheppard Software

This website has a great variety of educational games and activities for younger children.

Their website has hundreds of free, online, learning games for kids.

But anyone interested in online learning can use this site with access to activities in many subjects – (geography, math, animals, science, language arts, creative activities, health).

29. Mr. Nussbaum  

Here is an educational website that features many free resources to help kids.

It offers dozens of interactive games designed to reinforce essential concepts taught in elementary years, and themes that make learning enjoyable.

30. Arcademics

Arcademics is a website that offers educational games for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

There are over 50 games to choose from, and students can practice math, reading, science, social studies, and more.

The educational games are separated by grade level and subject, so students can easily find what they need.

31. Junior Brain Pop

One educational website that is great for speech therapy activities and games is Junior Brain Pop.

This website includes a variety of interactive games and videos that target a range of skills, including language. The games are all engaging and provide a fun way to work on important skills.

32. Splash Learn

Splash Learn has a variety of educational games to choose from that provide practice in vocabulary, phonology and grammar skills.

It also offers educational lesson plans and ideas, tips on how to use the site, FAQs and more!

33. Turtle Diary  

This site offers a large, free collection of educational games and activities to help children learn. These tools can be helpful for speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, parents and teachers who are looking for ways to support language skills in young children.

The site includes many different types of educational games that will engage your child: vocabulary building games where kids match terms to definitions, interactive short stories that teach grammar and syntax, educational quizzes, math challenges and more.

One of the best features of Turtle Diary is that many of the games are designed for specific age groups. You can easily find activities tailored for preschool students, elementary students or older students. This is a great way to target your child’s specific educational needs.

SEE ALSO: 917+ Best free Boom Cards for Speech Therapy

34. learning games for kids.

This site includes educational games for kids to make learning fun with math facts, language arts, and more.

Want educational games that make learning fun for your students? You’ve come to the right place!

35. Time for Kids

The website ‘Time for Kids’ is a great educational resource that provides articles and videos geared towards children of all ages.

Time for Kids is a great resource for educational activities, making it the perfect place to find digital resources for speech therapy.

It’s also a great way to keep younger children entertained and engaged while practicing their language skills.

Scroll down to the latest articles and stories for the free resources.

36. The Kidz Page   

Here is another educational website that provides free educational games and activities for children.

There are hundreds of free kids games, puzzles, activities, fun coloring pages, clip art & more.

You are sure to find something on this site that will help reinforce what you’re teaching your students in the classroom.

37. Disney Now Games

Disney Now has a great selection of educational games for children.

The games are designed to help kids learn math, reading, and science skills.

There are also games devoted to social skills development.

38. Word Wall

A great way to help young children learn new words and their definitions is by using a word wall.

A word wall is a collection of words, usually posted in a designated area, with each word printed or written on a separate piece of paper or card. The definition of the word can also be included.

This is a great visual aid for children and can help them learn new words in a fun way. It is also a great resource for parents and family members who want to help their child with their language development.

39. Birthday Song

Does your child or student have a birthday coming up?

Then be sure to check out this website where you type your child or student’s name and you can sing the child happy birthday with their name!

40. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Their website also has a few articles of ideas for using online speech therapy ideas that might be worth checking out.

41. Book Trust

If you want your child or student to listen to a free book then be sure to check out this website where your child or student can watch and listen to the interactive children’s books and then play a game, such as the Jigsaw Puzzles , Coloring Pages , or Faces and Feelings .

Conclusion : Online Speech Therapy Activities

Here is a list of 41 online speech-language therapy activities and games to help your child work on their language skills!

These resources are a great way to use online technology and are perfect for children with autism spectrum disorder, communication delays, or other speech-language needs.

They are a great way to improve vocabulary skills, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, and more. Try out these online resources today!

Want Even More?

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Want the Best of the Bests?

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Saturday 18th of June 2022

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Melissa Berg

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Glosso Speech Language and Educational Services

Making a difference one client at a time since 1995.

Helping your 4 to 6 year old’s speech development

Have you or a family member expressed concern about your child’s speech development? Do you think they might need speech therapy? Be sure to talk to your physician or a qualified speech therapist about your concerns but there are many ways you can help your child learn to understand and use words.

If you want to know more about speech milestones and the categories of speech development, see our article here.

Whether your child is currently getting speech therapy or you are considering that option, don’t forget that you can be your child’s best teacher. If you have a 4 to 6 year old, review the table below to better understand how to help their language and speech development.

It is important to remember that there is no correct starting time for these skills and children develop differently. If you are unsure, be sure to talk to your physician or a qualified speech therapist. Our professional speech therapists offer free screenings via Zoom – signup below if you are interested in finding out more.

Are you concerned about your child’s speech development? We are qualified speech therapists and can help. Contact us and receive a free screening on Zoom.

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The Best Speech Delay Exercises and Activities for Toddlers

By Lori Ennis, M.S. Ed

You want to know how to help your toddler with speech delay. It’s what parents do best—helping their children in areas where they need help. And, you’ve of course consulted a speech-language pathologist to ask how to deal with speech delay in toddlers so your little one can continue to grow and develop in speech and language. Your next step? Finding the best speech delay exercises for your toddler .

Are there speech delay exercises for toddlers that you can do at home? Absolutely, and we’ve asked clinicians for how to help your toddler with speech delay. Check out these speech delay exercises for toddlers and feel empowered in helping your little one’s speech and language blossom.

How to Help Your Toddler with Speech Delay

Take it from the experts, best tips to help speech delay in toddlers, real life brings about real speech.

You recognize that there is a speech delay with your toddler . Whether it’s an articulation issue, an enunciation or pronunciation issue or something in their motor planning that may be preventing typical speech development (or something completely different), you find yourself googling “Tips for speech delayed toddler” or “How to help your toddler with speech delay.” We know because we’ve been there. If you’re the parent of a toddler with speech delays, how to help them communicate effectively is one of your main concerns. Effective communication helps eliminate frustration on your end and theirs while preparing them for preschool, school and life. 

So really, are there speech delay exercises for toddlers that you can do at home? Do they really make a difference in how to help your toddler with a speech delay ?

The answer is a resounding, “YES!” and we’ll share them.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is a wealth of resource when it comes to ways you can encourage development when you have a toddler with speech delays. When it comes to how to help your toddler with speech delay, they recommend some of the following activities to encourage word development, proper articulation and enunciation and auditory processing/comprehension:

• Model good speech. Be clear and precise in your speech to and around them. 
• Make sure you use the appropriate word for a baby-talk word as well. You don’t have to stop saying the baby-talk word; just be sure to give them the correct word. (“You’d like your yogi? Sure, here is your yogurt.”)
• Help your child create catalogs of categories for words. “Look, there’s a dog. It’s an animal. What else is an animal? Yes, a cat is an animal. So is a lion. So is a cow.” 
• Have them develop speech with the ‘Yes/No’ game. “Do cows eat at the dinner table?” “Am I your mother?” “Do you have four ears?” “Are you wearing a red shirt?” This can be a fun game for your toddler to try and trick you.
• When asking questions of your toddler with a speech delay, give choices. “Do you want to eat spaghetti or grilled cheese?” The more words they hear in context, the better their vocabulary base is.
• Sing songs and tell nursery rhymes and read, read, read to your toddler. The more words they’re exposed to, the better. A recent study suggested that children who were read to each night were exposed to more than a million words more than their peers who were not read to. 

Will Oral-Motor Exercises Make a Difference? Dr. Gregory Lof is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Communication Studies and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. He has suggested that oral-motor exercises may not be as beneficial to speech and language development in toddlers as some might believe.

Dr. Lof believes and offers additional research that suggests oral-motor exercises like blowing bubbles or whistling or chewing on a talking tool may be exercises in futility as they don’t strengthen necessary muscles, and goes one step further in suggesting that strength is not necessarily crucial for speaking anyway. 

So what do Dr. Lof and so many other clinicians he cites suggest as tips for speech delayed toddler help? He advises working on speech tasks that will actually relate to speech production. In this, you can over pronounce early sounds and be sure to pronounce them very clearly. 

Typically sounds that toddlers with speech delays struggle with are /p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /h/ and /w/. You can help your toddler by being sure (particularly when beginning and ending consonants) to really enunciate the letters. ‘B’ in ‘bubble’ has a lot of opportunity for over pronunciation and enunciation, but any time you use words with those consonants, be sure to give them definition clearly. 

Additionally, making eye contact with your child when you are speaking to him or her is important. Not only does eye contact culturally build bonds and relationship, but it also allows your toddler to look at the way you’re forming your letters as you make sounds and words. This is something she can copy as she’s working on developing her own speech.

Most importantly, use everyday situations to help your toddler with speech delays. By this we mean spend a lot of time talking to your child, and through your day. When he gets up in the morning and you’re helping him get dressed, name his clothes—“This is your shirt! Those are your pants! Now it’s time for socks.” When you’re at breakfast, discuss how you’re preparing it, what it will do for your brain and your body—“This is orange juice, and it will help build your bones and keep you healthy!” “I had to crack this egg open before I could cook it. This what cracking your egg open looks like.”

Especially if your child’s responses are challenging to understand, allow them to respond to you and converse with you so they have the practice with not just speech, but speech that is contextually appropriate and meaningful to them. There’s often little fun in ‘speaking’ words only to speak or to learn, but when speech and language acquisition occurs naturally, it makes a more permanent impact. 

If you’re looking for more tips on how to help your toddler with speech delay, thankfully there are lots of additional resources to which you can turn as well. If you’re unsure as to whether your toddler’s speech is typical for her peers, or you’re interested in any more tips and information, you can check out the Toddler Speech Boost site and download their free milestone assessment guide. 

5 exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers

Speech delays in toddlers are common. these exercises can help.

There is nothing more exciting for a parent than watching as their child reaches new milestones in their development, and nothing more worrying than when they feel their child might be falling behind. It can be easy to start comparing your child to their peers and worry if you think they’re not developing as quickly as others. Language skills develop at different times for all children, but if you suspect your child isn’t on track developmentally, there are expert-recommended exercises for speech delays in toddlers.

Exercises for speech delays in toddlers

Can a toddler outgrow a speech delay, how can i help my 2-year-old with speech therapy at home, what are some causes of speech delay in toddlers, speech delays are common, can a child have a speech delay and not be autistic.

According to Nemours Kids Health, your child might have a speech delay if, by the age of 2 years, they are only imitating sounds and noises and not speaking spontaneously, only says certain sounds and words and can’t communicate with you verbally, can’t follow simple directions, and have a raspy or nasally voice. If you suspect your child has a speech delay, it’s important to speak with your doctor, but there are some exercises you can do at home to help your child.

Although speech delays in toddlers can often be something your child grows out of, it doesn’t make it any less worrying if you are the parent. Luckily, there are ways you can help your toddler if you feel they are falling behind their peers. Here are five exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers that you can do at home.

Read to them

One way to help your toddler with a speech delay is to read to them every day, as often as you can. Children learn to speak and make sounds often through imitation and interaction. Read age-appropriate books with your child and allow them to practice ‘reading’ along with you.

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Speak with them

You can also help improve your toddler’s speech delay by practicing speaking with them, according to Reid Health. They suggest practicing working on sounds or words your toddler may be struggling with, and even making a game out of it to make it more fun. As your child begins to master different sounds, you can then help them incorporate their new skills into learning words that have that same sound.

Encourage singing

Did you know that your toddler might be able to sing a song before they can speak a full sentence? Singing is actually a great way to help a toddler who is experiencing a speech delay because singing can help enhance a toddler’s vocabulary. According to a recent study, “informal musical experience at home contributes to the development of grammar.”

Model self-talk

Stamurai suggests using self-talk as a way to help improve a toddler’s speech delay. This basically means that when you’re with your child, you are always talking about what you’re doing and naming the different objects or items around you. If you’re at the grocery store, you can name each item and talk about it as you put it in the cart, or if you’re at home and playing with toys, talk about the toy and how you’re playing with it. Again, repetition is key to helping toddlers develop their language skills.

Use drinking straws

Reid Health also suggests using drinking straws to help your toddler develop the muscles in their mouth that can assist in their language skills. They can use the straws to drink with or simply blow air out to help strengthen those muscles. They suggest getting a ping-pong ball or something similar to make a game out of it, seeing if your toddler can blow through the straw and move the ball through a makeshift goal.

It is possible that a toddler might outgrow their speech delay. Speech Buddies suggests there are three factors that can help determine if a toddler will outgrow a speech challenge; the age of the child, the severity of the child’s speech challenge, and a child’s and/or family history of a speech challenge.

The Hanen Center also notes that the majority of children who experience a speech delay that only involves speaking and not comprehension or use of language have a 70 to 80% chance of outgrowing their language delay . If you’re concerned about your toddler’s language development, it’s always best to consult with a medical professional to see if speech therapy is needed  or if they think your child will outgrow the speech delay.

Parents can help their 2-year-olds at home by encouraging them to use their words. Pediatric speech therapist Alyssa Gusenoff explained to Verywell Family that anticipating what a child wants or needs isn’t encouraging them to speak. Instead, she suggests waiting for them to ask for what they want so they can practice speaking. She also suggests offering choices to a child, such as asking. “Would you like milk or juice?” instead of “What would you like to drink?” This gives the child the word they need to say instead of relying on them to come up with the word.

Other experts suggest minimizing background noise and distractions and not having a television on while working with your child. It can be hard for a child to concentrate when there are distractions, so having an area where they can focus is conducive to a better learning environment.

Gusenoff also recommends lots of repetition when speaking to your child, including repeating how they incorrectly pronounce something. She says that many children don’t understand that they’re mispronouncing words until they hear them spoken back to them. She also notes that parents need to know their toddlers’ limitations, and if it doesn’t seem that their child is benefitting from help at home, it might be time for professional guidance and intervention.

Developmental guidelines are just that — guidelines — but if you notice your toddler isn’t speaking at the rate you think they should be, they may have a speech delay. There are a number of causes of speech delays in toddlers. Although sometimes your toddler may just be developing on their own timetable, sometimes a speech delay is the result of something else.

Problems with your toddler’s mouth, including their tongue and palate, can result in a speech delay, according to Healthline, as can some developmental delays and physical disorders. Hearing loss, lack of stimulation, neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, and autism spectrum disorder can all cause speech delays in toddlers.

It can be very easy to panic when your child misses certain developmental milestones, but it’s important for parents to know that speech delays in toddlers are actually quite common. In fact, Nemours notes that 20% of children will “learn to talk or use words later than other children their age.”

Speech delays can also lead to other behavioral issues stemming from your toddler’s frustration at not being able to communicate their wants and needs, which is why you’ll want to address this issue quickly. It’s important to reach out to your pediatrician to determine the cause of your toddler’s speech delay so your child can be properly evaluated and intervention prescribed, if needed.

Although speech delays are common in children diagnosed with autism, many children without autism also experience them. According to Verywell Health, children with autism spectrum disorder often face social communication challenges as well as speech delays, whereas other children not on the spectrum may experience speech delays but are still motivated by those social cues from other people.

Every child is different. and every child reaches milestones at different stages of development. If you’re worried your toddler may have a speech delay, you should consult with your pediatrician who will determine if your child needs to see a speech therapist or if it’s nothing to worry about.

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Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is an umbrella term for a group of neurological and developmental disorders that cause problems in communication, social interaction, and intellectual development, among other areas. According to the National Autism Association, ASD affects 1 in 44 children in the United States. Although every ASD diagnosis is different, most cases are identified before a child's third birthday. It's a lifelong condition with no cure, so receiving an Autism diagnosis can be scary for a toddler's parents and caretakers to receive.

ASD has many well-established warning signs for toddlers, including slower-than-average speech development. The challenge arises because these behaviors often have any number of possible causes, some of which are not medically out of the ordinary.

Life is never boring when you have a toddler. This is a stage of development full of new challenges and exciting milestones that see them changing at a rapid pace. Because of all these changes, it is hard to keep up, and you may find yourself wondering if your toddler is growing at a normal rate.

Even though your pediatrician probably went over the stages of toddler growth spurts, you might want to know specific details involved in your child's development and what changes you should be looking for to ensure they're on track. All kids are different and the ages at which they hit growth spurts will fluctuate. But there are general guidelines to watch for to know if you should be concerned. Here's what you need to know about toddlers and their growth spurts.

Thanks to social media, blogs, and YouTube channels of individuals who are constantly recording and updating the public on their child's development it can make parents anxious as they start to compare their own child's milestones. It can even cause a bit of anxiety if you notice your child's "firsts" are different or delayed from others. Waiting for your child to be able to communicate with you instead of crying can seem like an eternity, so when they finally make those first sounds, it's a welcome relief. The biggest question is often how to tell if your child has a speech delay. Once you figure that out, other questions like what causes speech delay in toddlers follow.

The number of words children regularly say at different ages varies greatly from child to child, but there are some guidelines that can help you figure out if there is a speech delay that needs interventions and treatments. According to Hanen Certified Speech-Language Pathologist Laura Lowry, "The “wait-and-see” approach to children who talk late is a result of misconceptions about typical language development." Here are five signs to look for to tell if your toddler could have a speech delay.