WARNING SIGNS
HELPFUL LINKS

Warning Signs

The following warning signs may indicate a speech, language, voice, or fluency disorder.  If you have concerns, contact your pediatrician, personal physician, or a speech-language pathologist:

· A child who is not using any words by 18 months.

· A child who is not combining two or more words into “sentences” by 28 months.

· A child whose speech is very difficult to understand by age 3.

· A child who seems to have trouble listening or hearing at any age.

· A child who doesn’t interact with other children or adults, either by words, smiling, or eye contact at any age.

· A child who has noticeable difficulty following directions, especially in a group setting.

· A child who is struggling to learn to read or to put their ideas into writing.

The following warning signs may pertain to children or adults:

· A persistently hoarse or harsh sounding voice, lasting more than two weeks.

· Difficulty “getting the words out;” speech may be characterized by repetition of words or syllables, excessive tension when speaking, or excessive hesitations.

Helpful Links

The following links may help you as you search for information about speech and language disorders.  Inclusion of links in this website does not imply endorsement of  or affiliation with these sites. 

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:  www.asha.org 

The Connecticut Speech and Hearing Association:       www.ctspeechhearing.org

The Stuttering Foundation of America:                         www.stutteringhelp.org 

National Stuttering Association:                                  www.nsastutter.org

Autism Speaks:                                                         www.autismspeaks.org