As with all learning milestones, the age children learn language and start talking can vary. As such, delays and disorders might be hard to diagnose. Here are the two key differences between Speech and Language delay.

3x greater issues in adulthood: A delay in diagnosing and treating children with speech, language, or communication needs (SLCN), can 3-fold increase the likelihood of ongoing issues into adulthood. In the UK, it’s reported that more than 50% of children have SLCN!

Diagnosis issue: Delayed diagnosis can lead to problems with literacy, academic achievement, and socialisation throughout school (glove et al., 2015) and beyond. However, early intervention can effectively minimise ongoing difficulties.
“Early intervention is key!”— Dr. Annie McAuley (TalkiPlay)

Lack of access: Access to adequate speech and language tools for early learning educators is a major issue. Books, reading, and writing, are not helpful until school age. Educators need play-based tools to set repetitive and consistent activities. The ability to access a child’s progress with data further supports correct diagnosis, development, and therapy. 

Long term impact of COVID: For many, lockdowns hindered consistent and continued SLP therapy… and telehealth sessions just weren’t sufficient for young children. New recommendations are now to ‘bridge the gap’ for speech & language development by fostering programs in early education (1–5 yrs).

“We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg of these issues at the moment. The next 2–3 years are critical.”— Kate Freeman (Early Intervention Foundation)


*Glover, A., McCormack, J., and Smith-Tamaray, M. (2015). Collaboration between teachers and speech and language therapists: services for primary school children with speech, language and communication needs.Child Lang. Teach. Ther.31, 363–382. doi:10.1177/0265659015603779