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Planned service · about 18 months to 8 years

Late talkers and language

Speechie is not yet taking clients. This page describes what the service will look like. Appointments begin only once the clinician's registration with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) is confirmed. Until then, use the free public options linked on this page.

Language is the system behind the words: understanding what is said, building sentences, asking questions, telling what happened. When it lags, it shows up as a toddler with few words, a preschooler who is hard to follow, or a school-aged child who struggles to explain and to understand instructions.

Who this is for

  • Toddlers with few words, or words that have stopped growing.
  • Children who understand less than expected for their age, or follow directions only with gestures.
  • Preschoolers who speak in short, telegraphic phrases ("me go park") well past three.
  • Children who have trouble telling a story, answering "why" questions or keeping a conversation going.
  • Families in bilingual homes who want to know whether what they are seeing is typical.

What the service will include

Assessment combines a detailed parent interview, play-based observation, a language sample and standardized measures suited to the child's age and languages. For toddlers, the strongest evidence is for parent-implemented intervention: coaching caregivers to use strategies such as following the child's lead, waiting, expanding what the child says and offering choices, built into everyday routines. For preschool and school-aged children, sessions target specific skills such as vocabulary, grammar, following directions and narrative, with home practice that fits the family.

What you can do today

Count your toddler's words with the word counter, run through the milestone checklist, and start the everyday strategies that research supports. If your child is under school age, Ontario's free Preschool Speech and Language Program accepts self-referrals.

How it will work

  1. 1

    Parent interview and play-based observation

    What your child understands, says and does in real routines, plus a language sample and standardized measures suited to their age and languages.

  2. 2

    Coaching for toddlers

    The strongest evidence for late talkers is parent-implemented intervention: following the child's lead, waiting, expanding, offering choices.

  3. 3

    Targeted goals for preschool and school age

    Vocabulary, grammar, following directions and storytelling, worked on in sessions and at home.

  4. 4

    Progress you can see

    Word counts, sentence length and specific goals are measured at set intervals.

Frequently asked questions

What is a late talker?
A late talker is usually defined as a toddler of 18 to 30 months who understands language and is developing typically in other areas, but has fewer words than expected, often fewer than 50 words or no two-word combinations by 24 months.
Do late talkers catch up on their own?
Many do, but a meaningful proportion continue to have language difficulties into school age, and it is hard to predict which child is which. Risk is higher when understanding is also delayed, gestures are limited, or there is a family history.
Does speaking two languages at home cause delay?
No. Bilingual children may distribute their words across two languages, and the total should be counted. A delay that shows up in both languages is what warrants assessment.

Free public options by city

Each city page lists the local Preschool Speech and Language Program, Children's Treatment Centre and school boards.

TorontoOttawaMississaugaBramptonHamiltonLondonAll cities

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Need help now? Ontario has free options.

Children not yet in school can self-refer to the Preschool Speech and Language Program. No doctor, no fee.

Find your local program