10 Signs Your Child May Need Speech Therapy
A practical, no-jargon checklist from licensed speech-language pathologist Kelsey Timler, M.S., CCC-SLP — to help you decide whether what you're noticing is a real concern, or something to keep an eye on.
- ✓ 10 signs grouped by age — toddler, preschool, school-age, and adult
- ✓ What each sign actually looks like, in plain language
- ✓ A simple "what to do next" guide based on how many signs match
- ✓ Free — instant PDF download
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10 Signs Your Child May Need Speech Therapy
A practical, no-jargon checklist to help you decide whether it's time to talk to a speech-language pathologist.
Why this guide?
Most parents I work with come in with the same question: "Should I be worried, or is this normal?" The honest answer is — sometimes kids do grow out of things, but the difference between waiting and acting can be six months of frustration or a year of avoidance. This guide gives you a clear, parent-friendly framework so you can answer that question for yourself in about 5 minutes.
What you'll learn
Toddlers (12–24 months)
When late talking is worth a closer look — and when it isn't.
Preschool (3–5 years)
Sound errors, sentence development, and the "stranger test."
School-age (5+)
Persistent /r/, /s/, /th/ errors and how they affect reading.
Stuttering & disfluency
What's typical, what's not, and why early matters most here.
Oral motor & feeding mechanics
When chewing, swallowing, or coordination signal an oral motor concern.
Tongue tie & myofunctional
Why we always try therapy first — and when surgery actually helps.