RED FLAGS FOR SPEECH & LANGUAGE DELAYS

Red Flags for Speech & Language Delays / Disorders

12 Months and Younger:

• No babble or vocalizations that contain several different consonants and vowels
• Minimal engagement with others, including eye contact, smiling, pointing, etc.
• Does not gain the attention of others
• Does not recognize or respond to the name of common objects
• No response seen when his/her name is spoken

By Age 18 Months:

• Does not use several words (at least 10-15) consistently
• Unable to point to common body parts
• Has difficulty following simple directions such as “go get it”, “come here”, etc.
• No greetings/farewells (“bye bye”) seen
• No back-and-forth interaction with others, such as smiling, laughing, or playing

By Age 2:

• No use of 2-word phrases (e.g., “Daddy gone”)
• Does not play with other children
• Difficulty following 2-step commands (e.g., “Give me the ball and give Daddy the car.”)
• Not understood in at least 50% of the time
• Does not point to named objects or pictures

By Age 3:

• Does not understand simple colors and sizes (“big/little”)
• Does not respond to simple “who, what, where” questions
• Does not use 2-, 3-, and 4- word phrases/sentences
• No turn-taking or playing with others
• Not understood in at least 75% of the time
• Not saying the beginning or ending of words (“hou” for “house”)

By Age 4:

• Does not use sentences consistently
• Not yet asking questions
• Not naming letters or numbers
• Unable to tell a short story
• Not at least 90% understandable when speaking. Some sound errors may still be present such as “R, L, CH, SH, J, or TH”.
• Does not follow multi-step directions without the use of gestures or pointing

Red Flags for ALL Ages:

• Repetitive movements with objects, arms, hands, etc.
• Does not respond to people or sounds
• Stops saying or learning words
• Echoes (repeats) words or phrases over and over
• No imitation of sounds, words, or gesture