Dear Jacqui, My daughter is a bright 2.6 year old but has difficulties talking and naming things. Her speech is hard to understand. Other girls her age are talking fluently. Will she outgrow it?
Has your daughter had a hearing test? Has she had frequent colds or ear infections? Has she had any eating or drinking difficulties i.e. difficulty chewing meat? Is she a clumsy child? Does she understand you as you say she is bright? Is she pointing or using gestures to help make herself understood? Is she getting frustrated with her difficulty communicating? Is she mumbling or are there particular sounds that she says or does not say? The answers to these questions will help clarify what underlying factors are at work. I recommend that your child is seen by a Speech and Language therapist for an assessment as these early years for speech and language development are crucial for later literacy and academic success. Although there is time for her to develop, I would not recommend taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. I treat children who are 2 or 3 years old who are having specific problems, through a play therapy and parent directed approach, and they make excellent progress. Occasionally a child may ‘outgrow’ a problem if it is developmental in nature, however it is better to find out what the underlying causes are by seeing a Speech and Language therapist. Early intervention if possible is far better than leaving it until the school years.
