This is the question we are asked most often, and it almost always comes after a period of waiting. The parent has been told that boys speak later, that an uncle did not talk until three, that it will come. Sometimes it does. The problem is that from the outside, that case is indistinguishable from the one that needs help.
What is expected around the age of two
Language development has a wide band of normal, and two healthy children can move at different paces. No table replaces an assessment. But there are a few reference points a parent can observe.
- Is the vocabulary growing - not how many words, but are new words appearing month by month?
- Do they join two words together, such as 'daddy come' or 'want water'?
- Do they understand simple instructions without gestures, like 'get the ball'?
- Do they communicate with you even without words - pointing, bringing you things, seeking you with their eyes?
- Do they imitate your sounds and words?
When not to wait
There are situations where an assessment should not be postponed, whatever the age. If the child has lost words or skills they previously had, that should be assessed without waiting. The same applies if they do not respond to their voice and name, or if non-verbal communication - pointing, eye contact, joint attention - is entirely absent.
These non-verbal foundations matter more than the word count, because language is built on them. A child who communicates vividly without words is in a different position from a child who does not communicate at all.
Why an assessment is not premature
A speech and language assessment commits the family to nothing and attaches no labels. It answers the question the parent has been carrying for months. If development is within expectations, you know for certain and that is the end of it. If there is a difficulty, the work starts when it is most effective - and early intervention is the professionally recommended practice.
What waiting costs is not only time. It is also the period when the child learns most easily.