Speech development delay (SDD): how to spot it early and help

21.10.2025
Language is the basis of communication, learning about the world, and personality development. That is why it is so important to notice when a child’s speech development needs support.
What is SDD?
Speech language impairment is a condition in which a child begins to speak later than their peers or has difficulty with pronunciation, vocabulary, or sentence structure.
The reasons can vary — individual characteristics, organic disorders, insufficient speech stimulation, or emotional factors.
What to look for:
  • before 1 year of age — the child does not respond when spoken to, does not babble;
  • at 1.5 years old — does not try to repeat sounds or words;
  • at 2 years old — vocabulary is less than 20–30 words;
  • at 3 years old — speech is incomprehensible even to loved ones, simple phrases are absent;
  • at 4–5 years old — the child has difficulty constructing sentences, retelling stories, and composing narratives.
How to help:
Create a language environment — talk, read, and sing together more often.
Use speech therapy games: blow out candles, play “Echo,” and do articulation exercises.
Consult specialists — a speech therapist, psychologist, or defectologist. They will help identify the causes and develop an individualized plan of action.
Remember: the earlier you start corrective work, the better the results.
Every word spoken for the first time is a small but very important victory.