Children should begin needed language therapy at an early age.

First, to find out if a child's speech and language are delayed, begin with a speech and language evaluation conducted by a speech-language pathologist. The goals of the evaluation are to determine the child's ability to understand and use different words (nouns, verbs, prepositions, pronouns, adjectives); to evaluate the proper use of words in correctly formed sentences; to assess the use of language for different purposes (greeting, describing, requesting, expressing feelings); to observe the child's pronunciation of speech sounds and the physical ability to produce speech; and to monitor voice quality and fluency.

The initial evaluation often takes two to three hours and may continue over several sessions where additional information is gathered about the child and the family. This information helps determine the severity of the problem and the types of services needed by the child and family. The results of the evaluation will determine if a child is developing normally, is at risk for speech and language problems, or demonstrates a disorder of language that needs intervention.

There are many things parents can do when they understand what kind of difficulties their child is having and the kind of help the child needs to learn. Children with a language disorder should begin therapy as soon as possible, and parents should be involved in the intervention process.

Parents of children who do not demonstrate a disorder but who may be at risk for a disorder are given help in understanding normal speech and language development and in creating activities to do at home. These children are often seen again in four to six months for follow-up. For children found to be developing normally, parents have been alleviated from unnecessary anxiety about their child's speech and language skills.

In some cases, children seen for a speech and language evaluation are found to be suspect of other disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, mental retardation, and autism. Other services may be needed, and the Scottish Rite Clinic can help with both referrals for diagnosis and intervention.

If parents suspect a problem or have a concern, they should talk to their pediatrician and to a speech-language pathologist. It's never too early to begin to seek answers. Research shows that two-thirds of children described as slow or late talkers at age two continued to show delays at age three. In other words, don't trust the old saying the child "will grow out of it." Early intervention can often keep a mild delay from developing into a severe language problem that may contribute to later learning and reading difficulties.