Developmental Norms and Early Intervention

Developmental Norms and Early Intervention

By: Brittany Haller, MS, CCC-SLP

As an SLP, I receive countless texts, Facebook messages, and phone calls from friends and family members regarding their children’s speech and language development. These parents are typically trying to find out whether or not they should seek a formal evaluation for their kiddo(s). You should know that I am never bothered by these questions, and love that I am able to provide information and resources to them. However, not everyone has an SLP for a sister, or was able to stay in touch with the girl from their high school who grew up to seek her degree in Speech-Language Pathology. So, where do you turn when you start to have concerns and can’t just reach out to your friendly neighborhood SLP?

I personally recommend the website below:

https://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35:admin&catid=2:uncategorised&Itemid=117

Caroline Bowen provides accurate information on developmental norms in all areas of communication. The information is very well organized, and easy to understand.

Being aware of the developmental norms is crucial because early intervention is such a powerful thing. Research has found that diagnosing a speech/language disorder at an earlier age can lead to increased progress through speech-language therapy. If you have increased questions/concerns after familiarizing yourself with typical speech and language development, I highly recommend seeking an evaluation with a local speech-language pathologist. More information on the benefits of early intervention can be found using the link below:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/whyActEarly.html