01/05/2026
Is your bilingual child struggling with language or is it just a language difference? 👇 This is one of the most misunderstood topics in pediatric speech, and it affects SO many families in our community.
Here’s what every bilingual parent needs to know:
A language difference is completely normal. It happens when a child’s home language, culture, or dialect influences how they speak in another language. A Spanish-English child saying “she has 10 years” instead of “she is 10 years old” is not a delay it’s language transfer. It’s actually a sign that their brain is working across two systems. 🧠
A language disorder is different. It shows up across ALL languages a child speaks not just one. If your child is struggling to follow directions, learn new words, or form sentences in both English AND Spanish, that’s when an evaluation makes sense.
Here’s the most important thing: bilingualism does NOT cause language disorders. But because this distinction isn’t always understood, many bilingual children are either over-identified (referred for therapy they don’t need) or under-identified (missing support they do need). Both outcomes have real consequences.
The key question to ask is: are the difficulties showing up in every language your child speaks?
If you’re not sure what you’re seeing, a culturally informed, bilingual SLP can make all the difference. At Aldea, we connect families with specialists who understand your child’s full linguistic background not just half of it. 💛
Comment “NEWSLETTER” below and we’ll send you more resources to support your child’s development. 👇
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