What is Late Language Emergence
also know at "late talkers"?
Late language emergence (LLE) is a delay in language onset with no other diagnosed disabilities or developmental delays in other cognitive or motor domains. LLE is diagnosed when language development trajectories are below age expectations.
What describes LLE or "late talkers"?
A late talker is a toddler (usually between the ages of 18-30 months) who has good understanding of language, typically developing play, motor, thinking and social skills, but has a limited spoken vocabulary for their age. Late talkers can be puzzling because they have all of the building block for spoken language, yet they talk very little, or not at all.
Milestones to Consider
- a good rule of thumb is one word at 1 year
- by 18 months child should use at least 20 words in a variety of types, nouns, verbs, position words, describing words, and social words
- at age 2 a child should use at least 100 words and should be combining those words in to two word phrases
What should you do if you think your child is a "late talker"?
Being told not to worry and suggestions of "wait and see" or "boys talk later" rarely relieve parent/caregiver anxiety. I tell parents and caregivers to trust their gut instincts. It is never too early to seek assistance. Contact me to discuss your concerns.