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Communication
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with communication.
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Signs & concerns
What does it mean if my child is not yet showing speech, language and communication?
If your 3-to-7-year-old isn't yet showing expected speech, language and communication, it usually means these skills are emerging more slowly than typical — not a diagnosis. Watch for few words, trouble understanding, limited back-and-forth or any loss of skills, and arrange a hearing check too. This is the age when warm, early support works best, so a developmental screen now turns small gaps into early opportunities.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing storytelling skills?
Storytelling — retelling events, describing pictures, making up tales — develops gradually between about 3 and 7 years, and many children share fragments before sequencing whole stories. Seek a developmental check if your child has very few words, can't order two or three ideas, doesn't follow simple stories, or if narrative delay sits alongside wider communication delays. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing temporal concepts?
Temporal concepts are time words like before, after, today and tomorrow, which develop gradually between about ages 3 and 6. A child not yet showing them is usually just on their own timeline — not a diagnosis. It is worth a developmental check if time words are missing alongside other receptive-language delays such as trouble following directions or limited vocabulary.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing verbal communication?
Between 12 and 36 months there is a wide, normal range for talking, and a quiet toddler is often still building the foundations of language. What matters most is whether your child connects, understands and tries to communicate through gestures, eye contact and sounds. A hearing check and an early developmental review are sensible if words, gestures or understanding seem delayed — this is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis. Early playful support builds language beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing verbal knowledge?
Between 12 and 36 months there is a very wide normal range for understanding and using words, so a toddler not yet showing verbal knowledge is often building quietly. It is not a diagnosis or a measure of intelligence. Seek a gentle developmental check — including a hearing review — if words and understanding seem slow alongside little pointing, gesture, name-response or shared attention, or if skills are lost, because early support works best now.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing verbal reasoning?
Verbal reasoning — thinking and problem-solving with words — is still emerging between ages 3 and 7, and children build it at different paces. If it isn't showing yet, that is not a diagnosis but a reason to look closely at how language and thinking grow together. Often reasoning lags because expressive vocabulary is still catching up, so clinicians check that foundation first. Early, playful support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing verbal understanding?
If your child (around 3–7) isn't yet showing clear verbal understanding — following simple instructions, pointing to named things, or answering everyday questions — it usually means receptive language is developing more slowly than expected, and a gentle check is wise. This is not a diagnosis. Hearing should be checked first. Many children catch up well with early, play-based support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing vocabulary?
If your 3-to-7-year-old isn't yet showing expected vocabulary, it usually means their expressive language is developing more slowly in this one area — not a diagnosis. Children learn words at very different paces, and many simply need richer, playful language input. A gentle developmental check now is wise, because early support for vocabulary works best when started early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child isn't yet showing vocabulary comprehension and expression?
Between 12 and 36 months, the range of normal language is very wide, and understanding (comprehension) usually comes before talking (expression). If your toddler isn't yet showing clear vocabulary, it most often means language is still emerging — not that something is wrong. A gentle developmental check, including a hearing check, is wise because early language support works best at this age. This is a reason to look, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat it means if your child isn't yet showing vocabulary knowledge
If your child isn't yet showing the vocabulary you'd expect, it usually means their language is still building — sometimes more slowly — not that something is wrong. Between 3 and 7, watch for very few words, no short phrases, difficulty naming things or understanding instructions, and check hearing. This is a reason for an early developmental check, not a diagnosis, because language responds strongly to early, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child isn't showing vocalization development?
If your toddler is not yet showing expected vocalization development, it usually means their sounds and early words need a closer look — not that something is wrong. Between 12 and 36 months the typical range is wide, and many children flourish with gentle, playful support. A developmental check now is a calm, wise step, never a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does it mean if my child is not yet showing word knowledge?
Word knowledge is how many words a child understands and uses, and how they link words to meaning. In a 3-to-7-year-old, not yet showing expected word knowledge usually means language is growing at its own pace — and sometimes that extra support would help. It is not a diagnosis, but a clear, kind reason to arrange a developmental check, because language support works best early.
Read the answer AnswerEarly indicators of Childhood Apraxia of Speech a paediatrician should watch for
Watch for inconsistent errors on the same word, articulatory groping, disrupted prosody, vowel distortions, and a marked gap between intact comprehension and effortful, limited expressive speech. Errors increase with word length. Refer to speech-language pathology early — CAS responds to intensive motor-based therapy and should not be managed by wait-and-see.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Indicators of Developmental Language Disorder
Watch for persistently delayed or atypical language in a child with typical hearing, non-verbal cognition and social reciprocity: no babble by 12 months, fewer than 50 words and no word combinations by 24 months, and ongoing comprehension or grammar difficulty beyond age 3. Confirm hearing first; refer for speech and language therapy when concern persists.
Read the answer AnswerEarly indicators of non-verbal / minimally verbal presentation
A non-verbal / minimally verbal presentation is a descriptor, not a diagnosis. Watch for absent babble or gesture by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, or any regression. Rule out hearing loss first, then refer for multidisciplinary assessment without waiting for a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat early indicators of Speech and Language Delay should a paediatrician watch for?
Watch for absent babble and gesture by 9–12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, and speech unintelligible by 36 months — most urgently any loss of acquired words. Refer in parallel for a hearing check; a child need not meet full ICD-11 6A01 criteria to warrant assessment.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech for Frontline Health Workers
On a home visit, look for very limited babble, late and few first words, the same word said differently on each attempt, visible mouth groping, and speech far harder to understand than expected — especially when the child clearly understands language but cannot speak it. Refer to a speech-language pathologist; arrange a hearing check too. Only a clinician can confirm CAS.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of Developmental Language Disorder on a Home Visit
On a home visit, watch for a child whose words come late and whose understanding lags peers — few words by 18 months, no two-word phrases by 2 years, hard to understand, or trouble following simple instructions — when hearing and play seem otherwise fine. Rule out hearing loss and route for a developmental and speech check.
Read the answer AnswerEarly Signs of a Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Child
During a home visit, watch how a child communicates beyond speech — pointing, gestures, eye contact, response to name — not just word count. Few or no words by the expected age with limited gesture, or any loss of skills, warrants referral for a developmental check and a parallel hearing test. A clinician confirms; the frontline worker's job is timely referral.
Read the answer AnswerEarly signs of speech and language delay to spot on a home visit
Frontline workers should watch for no babbling or gesture by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, speech the family cannot understand, or any loss of words — and always pair concern with a hearing check and onward referral, never a label.
Read the answer AnswerWhat everyday classroom signs might suggest a child has Childhood Apraxia of Speech?
In class, Childhood Apraxia of Speech may show as speech that's hard to understand, the same word said differently each time, visible mouth-groping, unusual rhythm, and understanding that far outstrips speaking. These signs warrant a speech-language assessment, not a diagnosis from the classroom.
Read the answer AnswerClassroom signs of Developmental Language Disorder
In class, DLD looks like trouble following instructions, finding words, building sentences and retelling stories — in a bright child who is clearly trying. It's not about intelligence, effort, shyness or learning English as a second language. A persistent cluster across weeks and settings warrants a referral; only a clinician can confirm.
Read the answer AnswerWhat everyday classroom signs might suggest a child has Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation?
A non-verbal or minimally verbal child uses few or no spoken words, relying on gestures, pointing or leading by the hand — often understanding more than they can say. Watch for a consistent pattern across the school day, check hearing first, and suggest a warm developmental check; the label matters less than getting communication support in place.
Read the answer AnswerWhat everyday classroom signs might suggest a child has Speech and Language Delay?
Watch for classroom signs of speech and language delay: fewer or simpler words, hard-to-understand speech, trouble following multi-step instructions, word-finding pauses, and hanging back in group talk. Flag for a developmental check when several signs persist across weeks and settings, or when a parent shares the same concern — and arrange a hearing check in parallel.
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