Every child develops at their individual rate but the first three years of a child’s life is critical and is the best time for learning. Early intervention identifies young children that may present with a delay or disorder or may be at risk. Therapy at an early age would be beneficial to prepare children for school. It is ideal for a child presenting with any delay or disorder to receive as much help prior to entering school, so that they will have a solid foundation of the basic concepts needed to be on the road to success.

What to look for in infants and/or toddlers

•	Child startle to sound
•	Cooing & Babbling
•	Look at you
•	Smile
•	Turn head to sound
•	Late talker
•	Not speaking their first words
•	Not able to understand your child
•	Does not play appropriately with toys

Preemies
Not all preemies experience developmental delays or speech and language disorders. Normal length of pregnancy is 38 to 42 weeks. A child born 37 weeks or earlier is considered premature. However, there are many factors that contribute to the success of a newborn. Birth weight and whether they have had any other medical complications.
It is important to know the developmental milestones for children. If there is any doubt or concerns about your child’s speech and language development, talk to you family pediatrician and ask for a referral for a speech and language evaluation.

When is Therapy needed?
Speech and language therapy is warranted when a child has:

•	Hearing impairment
•	Difficulty obtaining nutrition orally (swallowing/feeding difficulty)
•	Difficulty understanding and processing language
•	Weak oral muscles
•	Respiratory problems which affect speech production
•	Difficulty producing sounds
•	Difficulty putting words together to express their ideas