HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Overview of speech and language delay or disorder
Tirohanga whānui ki te matenga takaroa i te kōrero me te reo
All tamariki (children) develop differently. There can be quite a bit of variation in how old they are when they reach speech and language milestones. But they generally follow a predictable pattern. This makes it relatively easy to figure out if your tamaiti (child) may be having some difficulty.
See Communication development ages & stages for information about the milestones. It has information about the order in which tamariki reach them and the ages they reach them.
Some tamariki have speech and language delay. They reach the milestones more slowly than most tamariki. These tamariki usually catch up with the right help and support. This might be from a speech-language therapist. It might also be at home and in preschool or childcare.
Some tamariki have a speech and language disorder. They do not follow the usual course of speech and language development in one or more areas. These tamariki usually need more speech-language therapy. They may also need other specialist support at school.
Around 10 to 15% of New Zealand tamariki may have some difficulties learning to talk. These difficulties can sometimes be part of a more general development delay.
Symptoms of speech and language delay or disorder
A speech and language delay or disorder may cause one or more of the following problems:
- difficulty following instructions
- unclear speech
- difficulty being understood, which can cause frustration
- immature vocabulary and difficulty thinking of words
- immature grammar and difficulty putting sentences together
- frustration about not being able to communicate
- challenging behaviour
- immature or atypical social interaction skills
- difficulty understanding non-verbal communication
- social isolation.
Diagnosing speech and language delay or disorder
If you have any concerns about your child's speech and language development, speak up. Talk to your general practice team or Well Child Tamariki Ora provider. You may also wish to pay to see a private speech-language therapist.
- Tamaiti under 5. You can also contact the Ministry of Education's Early Intervention Service.
- Tamaiti over 5. Your school can refer them to the Ministry of Education's Communication Service.
Your doctor cannot diagnose a speech and language delay or disorder. Only a qualified speech-language therapist or a paediatrician can do that. But your doctor may want to rule out other causes of their symptoms by:
- Testing your child's hearing.
- Checking for other conditions that can have similar symptoms. These include autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay.
Treating speech and language delay or disorder
Tamariki with a speech and language delay or disorder must get the right help as early as possible.
The treatment varies. It depends on what sort of disorder your tamaiti has and how serious it is. Your therapist may suggest you wait and see if your child's speech and language catch up. Therapy programmes usually involve one-to-one sessions with a speech-language therapist. There also needs to be lots of practice at home.
Helping your child with speech and language delay or disorder
See Tips for helping your child's communication skills. This page has things you can do to help with your child's speech and language delay or disorder.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- KidsHealth – Speech & language
A variety of pages about speech and language development in tamariki.
- Ministry of Education – Much More Than Words
Information about communication development in young tamariki and ideas for supporting them.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2023.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HISCD-79694
