The term “late talker” is frequently referred to in the literature, in schools, and by parents and SLPs. But what does it mean? What classifies a child as a “late talker?”

Singleton (2018) asserts that a late talker can be characterized as a child with less than 50 words at 24 months of age, or no word combinations at 24 months of age. Contrast this with typically developing children’s language milestones of having around 100 words at 24 months of age and two word combinations (Paul et al., 2017). This is reflective of a language delay, and possible neurodevelopmental problems. Although it may be a language delay, it is better to seek supports early on. This is mentioned in another post, titled “Wait and See”, which suggests that the ‘wait and see’ approach is outdated and can be detrimental to a chid’s development.

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References

Paul, R., Norbury, C. & Gosse, C. (2017). Language disorders: From infancy through adolescence (5th edition). St. Louis: Mosby.

Singleton, N.C. (2018). Late talkers: why the wait and see approach is outdated. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 65(1), 13-29.