08/16/2026
💬 SPEECH & LANGUAGE: MYTH vs. FACT
❌ MYTH: “They’re still little. They’ll talk when they’re ready.”
✅ FACT: Children do develop at different rates, but there are important speech and language milestones we expect to see as they grow. Knowing these milestones can help parents recognize when their child may benefit from a little extra support. 💙
👶 BY 1 YEAR
• Waves “bye-bye” and uses gestures
• Calls a parent “mama,” “dada,” or another special name
• Understands “no”
• Begins using other simple words or word approximations
• Looks for familiar objects when they are named
🧸 BY 2 YEARS
• Uses at least 50 words
• Begins combining 2 words like “more milk” or “mommy go”
• Points to pictures or body parts when asked
• Follows simple directions
• Uses gestures beyond just waving and pointing
🚗 BY 3 YEARS
• Has short back-and-forth conversations
• Asks who, what, where, and why questions
• Says their first name when asked
• Uses words to describe actions
• Speech is becoming easier for other people to understand
⭐ BY 4 YEARS
• Uses sentences of 4 or more words
• Talks about something that happened during their day
• Answers simple questions about what objects are used for
• Uses words describing location, such as “inside,” “on,” or “under”
• Speech is understandable to most people most of the time
✨ Early identification matters.
If your child isn’t meeting one or more milestones, it does not automatically mean something is wrong, rbut it can be a good reason to talk with a Speech-Language Pathologist and determine whether an evaluation is appropriate.
At Empowered Speech Therapy, we’re here to help your child find their voice, build confidence, and become a stronger communicator. 🗣️💙
📞 936-222-7128
📧 [email protected]
Have questions about your child’s speech or language development? Give us a call!
