help 2 year old with speech

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Should I be concerned that my 2-year-old doesn't say many words and is hard to understand?

Talk to your child's health care provider if you can understand only a few or none of your 2-year-old's words. A delay using words or talking can be an early sign of other issues. Your toddler's provider can refer you to health professionals who test children for these issues.

Every child grows and develops at their own pace. But toddler speech development tends to follow a fairly set path. For example, by age 2, most children can:

• Use simple two-word phrases, such as "more milk."
• Ask one- or two-word questions, such as "Go bye-bye?"
• Follow simple commands and understand simple questions.
• Speak about 50 to 100 words.
• Be understood at least half the time by adults who don't know the child.

Between the ages of 2 and 3, most children:

• Speak in two- and three-word phrases or sentences.
• Use at least 200 words and as many as 1,000 words.
• Ask questions that start with who, what, where or why, such as "Where is mommy?"
• Say their first name when asked.
• Refer to themselves with pronouns, such as I, me, my or mine.
• Can be understood most of the time by familiar listeners, such as family members.

If your child might have a condition that causes a speech delay, your child's health care provider may suggest that you see a hearing or speech professional.

For example, hearing problems are checked by an audiologist. A speech-language pathologist checks for communication problems. If your child hears or speaks two languages, see a bilingual speech-language pathologist so your child can get tested in both languages.

In the United States, you can get your child tested through a government-funded early intervention program. This offers services and support to children with delays in development or disabilities. Each state and territory has an early intervention program, and some programs include speech therapy.

The way speech delay is treated in toddlers depends on the cause. When treated early, these delays and the problems that can cause them often get better over time.

Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.

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• Infant growth rates
• Vitamin D for babies
• Kliegman RM, et al. Language development and communication disorders. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• One to two years: What should my child be able to do? American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/12.htm. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Speech and language concerns. Pediatric Care Online. https://publications.aap.org/pediatriccare. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Is your toddler communicating with you? Pediatric Patient Education. https://publications.aap.org/patiented. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Kliegman RM, et al. The second year. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Feb. 22, 2019.
• Important milestones: Your child by three years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-3yr.html. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• What is early intervention? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2023.
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11 Toddler Activities to Encourage Speech

Are you looking for easy and fun ways to help encourage your toddler's speech development?

If so, you come to the right place. I'm going to go over some speech development facts and give you some fun and interactive ways you can help your child's language development.

How to encourage speech development

A toddler's speech development is one of the most exciting and worrying things about parenting.

In the time of social media, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing your toddler's speech development with others.

You may be wondering if there are any toddler activities to encourage speech.

Research shows that young children need to hear about 21,000 words per day for optimal language development.

While that number may have taken your breath away momentarily, I assure you it's not difficult to achieve.

Luckily, there are many things you can do with your toddler to encourage speech, and they can all be pretty fun!

Speech development in toddlers

You can worry yourself sick reading through websites about how many words your child should be saying at certain ages.

I've read that an 18-month-old should be saying at least 20 words, but then I read the next article down and I'm told a child should be saying at least 6 words at 18 months.

And then , to top the confusion off, women in parenting Facebook groups are telling me they've been told an 18-month-old should be saying more than 50 words!

Here's the most reasonable official word on what a toddler's speech should entail, by age:

By 18 Months- Says several single words. (They don't need to be clearly spoken.)

By 2 Years: Says sentences containing 2-4 words.

By 3 Years: Can carry on short conversations using 2-3 sentences and can be understood by most adults.

Along with these speech development guidelines, it's important to note that receptive language (a child's ability to understand) is of equal, if not primary, importance in younger toddlers!

So, don't gauge your child's language development only on what they are able to say.

Now, let's get to the fun part! The activities! I'll be providing examples of what you can say during the activity to encourage your child's speech!

Toddler activities to encourage speech

1. Herb Grinding- I am a big hot tea drinker and my kids enjoy the scents and flavors of the herbs brewing, along with trying new teas. (Decaffeinated, of course.)

This is one of my personal favorite activities to encourage toddler speech. If there is something you just love , involve your child.

So, grinding herbs with a mortar and pe stle is a super fun activity for us. And there is so much vocabulary that goes along with the activity!

“Feel the chamomile buds. They are dry and break easily. They should be easy to crush!”

“This is a mortar and pestle. People use it for all sorts of things! Painters use it to prepare paints, people crush medicine with it, and people use it for cooking. Let me show you how to use it. After we are finished crushing the chamomile, we can make some hot tea and put some honey and milk in it!”

2. Reading-  This is crucial – and fun! Short, rhyming, and easy-to-follow stories are the best for a toddler's developing speech.

There is no need to purchase any of the “First 100” series books and drill your child on those words.

Simply read and let the story flow. If it's a rhyme, don't stop to talk about the story or the pictures for the first several reads through the book.

Let your child experience the rhythm of the syllables and the song of the rhyme.

This will enhance the experience for them, as well as encourage their love of reading in the future!

Even audiobooks have the benefit of enriching a child's vocabulary!

Sensory bins to help speech development

3. Sensory bins – While sensory bins are not Montessori, they are useful for a child's development.

On top of tactile stimulation and as an adjunct tool for learning, they provide a fun opportunity for speech development.

Take this colored rice sensory bin, for example. We've made the brown rice the land and the blue rice the water.

My 2-year-old enjoyed coloring the rice, helping to plan the activity, and placing the animals in their respective habitats.

“Is water brown or blue? Hmm…I think it's blue. Let's put the brown land over to the left side of the bin and the blue water to the right of the land. Let's get your animals and try to figure out which ones live in the water and which ones live on land!”

So much language goes along with working with sensory bins. And you are only limited by your own imagination, as far as what materials to use!

4. Nature Walks- Take a walk around the yard, neighborhood, or local park. Stop often to observe the things around you.

Encourage your child to pick things up and offer a description of the item.

“Oh, look at that rock you found. Feel it. It's rough and has a jagged edge on one side. It looks different than the rock that I found. Mine is smooth. Do you want to feel it?”.

There is a lot of language to be shared when out and about in nature.

Encourage toddler speech through play

5. Blocks-  This activity is so simple, yet so vital for just about every aspect of a child's development. Blocks. That's right, just plain old wooden blocks .

All you need to do is sit on the floor, facing your child, and build. Talk about what you're building and observe and admire what your toddler is building.

“I'm building a house. You see, the garage is right here and over here is the front door. I've turned a triangle-shaped block upside down to make a pointy roof. Show me what you are building!”

“Let's see how high we can stack these blocks! We can make a tower! Oh, wow, every time we add a block, our tower gets taller. If we keep building, we will have the tallest tower we have ever built!”

6- Miniature objects- Miniature objects are used for different things in Montessori. To start with, they can be used to help encourage speech development in Toddlers.

Language is best learned in conjunction with concrete, tangible examples. So, miniature objects provide this level of learning for toddlers.

Simply name the object and talk a bit about its use. Ask open-ended questions, even if your child can't answer.

Miniature objects are also great for sound games.

7- Silly Sounds- Show your child that it is fun to experiment and be silly with language by making silly sounds with them. Change the words to some common nursery songs and sing about what you are doing.

Instead of singing the correct words to “ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star “, sing something like, “ Beep beep, bop bop, bip bip, boat! ” Just be silly!

Your child needs to see you feel free to experiment and be silly. This will help them feel free to do the same.

They will have fun, while getting practice and becoming more comfortable with trying new sounds. Activities to encourage speech can be silly and fun!

It should never feel like a lesson,

Speech development and music

8- Finger Plays- Finger Plays are songs involving the movement of the hands and fingers. This is a really fun way to encourage toddler speech!

One Finger Play all my children have enjoyed is this:

Open shut them ( Open and close your hands in rhythm ) Open shut them Give a little clap, clap, clap (Clap in rhythm) Open shut them (Open and close your hands in rhythm) Open shut them Lay them on your lap, lap, lap (Pat your hands on your lap in rhythm) Creep them creep them (Move your hands in a spider motion up your abdomen, Creep them creep them toward your chin) Right up to your chin, chin, chin Open wide your little mouth (Tap your index fingers on the sides of your mouth, But do not let them in close your mouth, and shake your head and wag your finger “no”) Shake them shake them (Shake your hands vigorously) Shake them shake them Shake them Just like this, this, this Roll them roll them (Ball your fists and roll your arms) Roll them roll them Roll And blow a little kiss (Blow a kiss to your child) Muah!

Speech development and food

9- Grocery Shopping- Turn an adult chore into a fun activity by spending some extra time in the fresh section of the store.

The descriptive language that fresh food provides is amazing! There is so much to talk about at the grocery store!

Every fruit and vegetable has a different size, color, texture, scent, and flavor. Grocery shopping is probably one of the best activities to encourage healthy eating and toddler speech!

“We need some apples to snack on. Let's pick out 3 juicy red apples. 1, 2, an 3. Can you help put them in our bag? You did it! Now we've got 3 delicious red apples to snack on when we get home! Now, let's go see what else we can find!”

10- Cooking-  There's no way around it. We have to cook.

So, instead of diverting your toddler's attention elsewhere so you can prepare dinner, invite them to help!

This is one of the most helpful ways to encourage toddler speech.

It may take longer ( and more cleaning is sure to result ), but the opportunity to help a toddler along with their speech development is missed when we exclude our children from daily activities, such as cooking.

“Smell this basil. I like the way it smells, don't you? Now, try a bite of this tomato. Mmm! It's so juicy, isn't it? Would you like to help me stir? Tomatoes and basil are going to be part of our dinner tonight! Thank you so much for helping!”

Speech development and picture books

11- Picture Books- Picture books are great activities to encourage toddler speech. They allow for more conversation, imagination, and they help develop critical thinking skills.

But for the purpose of this article, let's focus on the speech development these books promote.

One of the great benefits of wordless books is the absence of words prompts conversation about the possible actions, emotions , and intentions of the characters on the page.

There is no story to read, so you and your child make up the story yourselves!

“That boy is walking a dog on a leash. I wonder where he is going. Let's see…there's a post office a few buildings away. Maybe he is going to pick up a package. I wonder who sent the package. Do you have any ideas? Maybe his grandmother sent it.”

These fun activities are sure to help get your toddler talking!

Turn off the TV to encourage toddler speech

Doing simple things like speaking clearly and limiting screen time are also important. A link between excessive screen-time and verbal delays has been shown.

Time spent in front of the TV or iPad is time lost gaining meaningful speech; speech that relates to your child's life.

Join Limited Screen-time Families on Facebook for more tips on screen-free activities. It's one of the best resources out there.

My personal experience with my children's speech development

As a mother of three completely different kids, I can promise you that personality plays a huge role in a child's speech development.

The tears I shed worrying about my first child's language development…It turns out, she is a quiet child and a bit of a perfectionist.

I couldn't help but worry when I would watch videos of all my friends' toddlers talking and singing when my daughter had a handful of barely discernable words and a whole lot of da-da-da. She was a “late” babbler, too.

Then, like a light switch went off, she started speaking full sentences.

Now, at 5, she has a vocabulary as large as any other kid her age. My 3-year-old had 100+ words at 18 months.

He is more outgoing and willing to try to say words, even when he's unsure he's got the pronunciation just right.

He appreciates being corrected and will attempt a word as many times as necessary until he's got it just right.

Every child's speech development is different.

Basically, every child is different. So, try not to stress yourself ( or your child) out about their speech development. Child development is not a competitive sport .

I can safely assume that you're reading this article because you have concerns about your child's speech development.

Take a deep breath, dry your tears, and have fun with these activities!

The MOST important thing, however, is that you listen. Your child may be saying more than you think!

And there is NO NEED to talk incessantly to your child, as many social media moms will claim!

Letting them develop confidence and concentration through independent play is absolutely vital.

So, let them play,  then join them.

Let them explore, then join them.

There are so many activities to encourage toddler speech and their all fun!

Cheers and don't forget to subscribe!

Sharing is caring!

Wednesday 25th of August 2021

I NEEDED to read this. Thank you so much. Trust me... you are so right. I worry about my toddler's speech every single day. i am tired of reading articles. I am going to take your advice. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Bit of crackling

Wednesday 30th of December 2020

If transitions are a problem for your child, it is important to figure out what about the transition is difficult. Often kids don’t like stopping an activity that they are enjoying (like playing on the computer) in order to do something less fun, like getting ready to leave the house. While no one enjoys stopping fun things, some kids struggle with it more than others. That can be a sign that they are still developing emotional self-regulation skills, but it is just one possible cause. Other children struggle to cope with unanticipated changes in schedule, or moving on from something that they feel like they haven’t finished.

Thursday 21st of May 2020

thanks for this article! our little guy has pretty much no words at 15mo but understands what we are asking him to do and follows directions well. he has no screen time and we read a ton of books. the ped is already talking about early intervention speech therapy--ugh! this was such a reassuring article. thanks :)

5 Easy Tips to Encourage Your Toddler’s Speech Development

Toddler Speech Therapy: Tips for Encouraging Speech at Home

Our toddlers’ first few years of life are the most critical in his or her learning process. Katie, a pediatric speech therapist, mother, and fellow blog writer, helps us out with some tips to encourage and help language and speech development for toddlers.

1. Slow Down

Try to remember to slow the pace when you get a chance to have a conversation with your toddler. Children learn language in everyday situations. Routine activities are some of the best times to talk to your toddler because these are the moments they learn the most! Don’t forget to slow down how fast you talk too, especially if your child is struggling with speech and language development.

2. Look at Your Toddler/Child and Get Down at His/Her Level

You may be surprised by how often you say things to your child while you are turned away from each other. To help your toddler learn language and to be a better communicator, not only should you slow down, but you should also look at your child when you speak and try to kneel down to get at his or her level. This helps your child focus on you and what you have to say and lessens the surrounding distractions.

In today’s busy life, time is of the essence. We expect quick results everywhere we turn. Fast food, fast-forwarding commercials, express oil changes, you name it, there’s a faster way of doing it! But this isn’t how children learn language. They need our help and they need us to be patient. Make sure you allow enough time for your child to respond to you. You may not even realize but sometimes we are doing too much for them rather than waiting to see if they can do it on their own.

4. Stop Counting and Start Communicating

While teaching your child numbers, shapes, and colors is important, you don’t want to focus too much on this during their first few years. Of course, don’t exclude them, but you should expose them in more natural situations. These first few years are their brains’ most absorbent times! So let letters and numbers slowly intertwine themselves into his or her vocabulary. We don’t want our child’s vocabulary to only be made up of these so try to communicate about everything you and your child see in his or her environment. When your child points at something, talk about it. Ask questions and wait for them to answer. Narrate what you both are doing. Talk to them, don’t just sing the ABCs.

5. Rethink Your Toys

We’re not the only ones who have to go to work each day. Our kids go to work when they play. Playtime , which is of course fun, is also a very important time for children to learn. Children learn and use language within their play, so it’s important to have good toys !

Limit bright-colored toys that light up, talk, and play music. These toys are doing all the work themselves rather than our kids doing the work. She suggests toys that allow for many open-ended play opportunities like blocks and balls. One of her favorites is play phones, which is a toy that definitely encourages language!

Lastly, she expresses the benefits of rotating your child’s toys. This way, it saves money and keeps your child from getting bored because it seems like a new toy every time! It also helps your child learn even more because it gives him or her an opportunity to refresh skills that have been “put away” for a while.

If you are interested in speech therapy for toddlers, click here to learn more about speech therapy for toddlers at NAPA Center .

Find Inspiration in the NAPA Blog:

• 5 Must-Have Toddler Books Recommended by an SLP
• 5 Great Language Development Activities
• 19 Games for Child Language & Skill Development
• 18-Month-Old Not Talking? Speech Milestones and Strategies
• 5 Easy Swallowing Exercises for Dysphagia

About NAPA Center

NAPA offers speech therapy for toddlers to address speech delays and disorders in expressive/receptive language , articulation, oral motor dysfunction, apraxia of speech, social language, fluency , feeding and swallowing, and cognitive skills. We provide weekly speech therapy sessions to local families near our clinics and intensive therapy sessions which families travel from around the world to attend. If you think your child or loved one may benefit from speech therapy, please contact our team to begin your child’s journey!

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5 games every family needs for game night, blogs feeding, tips and tricks for mealtime with toddlers , pre-intentional and prelinguistic communication , privacy overview.

Toddler Speech Milestones

12-month speech milestones, 18-month speech milestones, 2-year speech milestones, read this next, 3-year old speech milestones, why is my toddler stuttering, when to talk to your doctor about your toddler's language development.

If you notice these signs of a possible developmental delay , talk to your child’s doctor about a speech/language evaluation. Speech therapy is often readily available for toddlers who are late talkers, and although costs may vary depending on your child’s needs (and the available services in your area), it’s a valuable way to get your child the help and support she needs.

What to Expect the First Year , 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff. What to Expect the Second Year , Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com, Your 1-Year-Old's Developmental Milestones , November 2021. WhatToExpect.com, Your 2-Year-Old's Developmental Milestones , November 2021. American Academy of Pediatrics, Developmental Milestones: 2 Year Olds , June 2009. American Academy of Pediatrics, Language Development: 1 Year Olds , August 2009. American Academy of Pediatrics, Language Development: 2 Year Olds , August 2009. American Academy of Pediatrics, Stuttering in Toddlers & Preschoolers: What’s Typical, What’s Not? , December 2016. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Birth to One Year . American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Early Identification of Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders . American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?   American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, One to Two Years .  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Two to Three Years .  Mayo Clinic, Language Development: Speech milestones for Babies , March 2021. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Stuttering , March 2017.  KidsHealth From Nemours, Communication and Your 1- to 2-Year-Old , June 2019. KidsHealth From Nemours, Communication and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old , June 2019. KidsHealth From Nemours, Communication and Your Newborn , June 2019. KidsHealth From Nemours, Stuttering , June 2019.  KidsHealth From Nemours, Your Child’s Development: 2.5 Years (30 Months) , June 2016.

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Speech Therapy for Toddlers

What is speech therapy.

• Language Development
• Signs of Delay
• Speech Therapy Activities
• A Parent's Role

Frequently Asked Questions

Speech therapy is a treatment led by a speech and language pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist. It helps a person communicate and speak more clearly. Toddlers may develop language or speech impairments due to illness, hearing problems, or brain disorders.

This article covers speech and language milestones, causes of speech disorders, diagnosis, what happens in speech therapy, and how parents can help their toddlers. 

Dragana991 / Getty Images

Speech therapy is a treatment that helps a person speak or communicate more effectively. It is performed by specially trained speech and language pathologists (SLPs) or speech therapists. They help their patients better understand others, pronounce words clearly, or put words together. 

There are different types of speech therapy and their use will depend on the age of the child and what they are experiencing. For example, therapy practices vary for children with apraxia (difficulty pronouncing different syllables), stuttering, aphasia (difficulty speaking due to damage to the brain), and difficulty swallowing, and for late talkers.

Language Development (Newborn to Toddler)

While delay does not always mean there’s a problem, it’s important to recognize when a toddler misses a developmental milestone. The following are general guidelines of speech and language development for babies and toddlers:

Newborns communicate through crying. Their cries may sound the same at first but start to vary as they grow. They also cry to express emotions, and parents begin to understand what different cries mean.

High-Pitched Crying

A high-pitched cry not resolved by comforting or eating may mean that an infant is experiencing discomfort or pain.

Newborns pick up on rhythms of speech and their parents' voices within the first few weeks of life. Between 1 and 4 months old, they become more alert to sounds and may startle more easily or turn to look for the source of the noise. 

Around 2 to 3 months old, infants start smiling and cooing, which often sounds like "ah" or "eh." Babies begin laughing by 3 to 4 months old.  

By 5 or 6 months old, infants imitate adult sounds produced by babbling or shrieking. Babbling involves repeating sounds such as "ba," "ma," or "ga."  

7–12 Months

Seven-month-old infants hear words as distinct sounds and try to repeat them. By 9 months old, they start to understand expressions and simple commands like "no," recognize words for objects, and respond to their names.

Ten- to 12-month-olds follow simple commands such as "give mommy your cup." They also begin to say simple words such as "dada" or "bye-bye."

A Toddler's First Words

Most 1-year-olds can say a few words such as “up” or “dog” but do not put words together in a sentence.

13–18 Months

By 18 months, a toddler puts two words together and says phrases such as "push it." They often communicate in gestures that get more complex over time.

Toddlers this age start recognizing objects, body parts, pictures, or people. For example, if you ask, "Where is your nose?," they will be able to point to it.  

19–24 Months

By 24 months old, toddlers know and say 50 or more words. They start to form two- to three-word sentences. Two-year-olds can usually communicate their needs, such as “I want more milk,” and follow two-step commands.

Speech and Language Developmental Timeline

Children develop at different speeds and may not follow the typical timeline. If you are concerned about the delay, contact your pediatrician or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Early treatment can make a difference.

Signs of Speech or Language Delay in Toddlers

The following are general guidelines to help parents know if they should have their young child evaluated for speech or language problems:

• A baby who does not vocalize or respond to sound
• A 1-year-old who does not use gestures, such as pointing
• An 18-month-old who would rather use gestures than sounds
• An 18-month-old who has difficulty imitating sounds or understanding simple requests
• A 2-year-old who imitates speech but doesn’t talk spontaneously
• A 2-year-old who can say words but not communicate more than their immediate needs or follow simple directions
• A 2-year-old who has a raspy or nasal-sounding voice

Understanding the Words of a Toddler

Parents and regular caregivers usually understand about 50% of a toddler’s speech by 2 years old and 75% by 3 years old.

Speech or language delays can occur due to problems with the structures of the mouth, head injuries, chronic illnesses, or brain disorders.  

If the cause is a brain disorder, it can be difficult to coordinate their tongue, lips, and mouth to make sounds or words. 

Hearing problems can make it difficult to imitate or understand language. This is not always a problem that is apparent at birth. Chronic ear infections can cause hearing damage in one or both ears.

A speech therapist will perform tests with your toddler to check the following:

• What your child understands
• What your child can say 
• Clarity of speech
• How the structures in their mouth work together to form words and eat

The following are diagnostic tests or scales a speech therapist may perform with your toddler:

• Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) : Bayley-III is used worldwide to measure all aspects of development from birth to 42 months. A speech therapist administers the language portion by watching the child follow instructions and identify people and objects. It helps them know if the child is on track or needs further evaluation. 
• Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS)-5 English : The PLS-5 is an interactive screening tool designed for infants and young children. Speech therapists measure all areas of language through a play-based approach. 
• Differential Ability Scales Assessment–Second Edition (DAS-II) : The DAS-II provides a scale to help speech therapists better understand how a child processes information. This allows them to develop appropriate activities for therapy.
• Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 3 (GFTA-3) : The GFTA-3 involves asking a child to identify colorful drawings and measures their ability to pronounce consonants.
• The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scales: This test is specifically designed for children from birth to 36 months old. It involves a parent interview, as well as observation of the child performing tasks.

What Happens During Speech Therapy?

The speech therapist will plan and perform activities to help your toddler with skills based on their specific needs. Therapy may occur in small groups or individually. 

Language building activities include using picture books, repetition, talking, and playing. If a toddler has difficulty pronouncing certain words, the therapist will teach them how to make the sound or say specific words. 

Sometimes speech therapists help toddlers with speech mechanics. This involves teaching them how to move their mouth or tongue to pronounce a word. They may also prescribe lip, tongue, or jaw exercises to continue at home.

What Concerns are Addressed During Speech Therapy?

Some of the concerns that SLPs may address during speech therapy include:  

• Speech mechanics
• Word pronunciation
• Volume or quality of speech
• Social communication skills
• Trouble swallowing

How Can Parents Help?

It helps to talk and read to your child frequently. Use correct names and speak in a slow and clear voice. When giving direction, keep things simple. Kneeling to their level can them focus on what you are saying.

If your child points at a glass of water, help them connect the gesture and language by asking, “Do you want water?” When they don’t pronounce words accurately, emphasize the correct pronunciation when responding.

Waiting for a Response

When asking a question such as “Do you want a drink?,” try waiting for a response. This helps your toddler learn to communicate back to you. 

Chronic illnesses, brain disorders, and hearing problems can cause a toddler to have delayed speech or language development. Speech therapy can help them learn to communicate more effectively. 

Parents can help by talking to their children often, speaking clearly, and emphasizing correct pronunciation. If your child is in speech therapy, it’s helpful to perform exercises prescribed by your speech therapist at home.

A Word From Verywell

Not all children follow a typical timeline for speech and language development. Sometimes they are focused on learning a new task, such as walking, and put language development on the back burner. They often catch up later. 

If your toddler is experiencing a language or speech delay, talk with your child’s healthcare provider. If there is a problem, getting help early can make a difference.

A toddler should start speech therapy any time after 3 months old if they experience developmental delays in speech or language. This may seem young, but a speech therapist can monitor the signs if there is a delay. Early intervention can make an impact. 

The estimated national average cost for the United States is $218 per session. However, many insurances and most state Medicaid programs cover speech therapy. It can be helpful to find an in-network clinic to decrease your out-of-pocket expenses. 

Nemours Kids Health. Delayed speech or language development . KidsHealth.org.

Durkin MJ. From Infancy to the Elderly: Communication throughout the Ages. Nova Science Publishers; 2011.

Meadows-Oliver M. Pediatric Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. 3rd Edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2019.

University of Michigan Health. Speech and language milestones, birth to 1 year .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important milestones: Your baby by nine months .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Language delays in toddlers: Information for parents . Healthychildren.org.

Nemours Kids Health. Communication and your 1-to-2 year old . KidsHealth.org.

NAPA Center. Speech therapy for children: What are the benefits? .

Garro, A. Early Childhood Assessment in School and Clinical Child Psychology . Springer; 2016.

Ross, K. Speech-Language Pathologists in Early Childhood . Plural Publishing; 2015.

DeVeney SL. Clinical challenges: Assessing toddler speech sound productions . Semin Speech Lang. 2019 Mar;40(2):81-93. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1677759.

NAPA Center. 5 tips to help your toddler’s speech development by a speech therapist .

Wooster Community Hospital. At what age should speech therapy begin? .

MDsave. Speech therapy visit .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Introduction to Medicaid .

By Brandi Jones, MSN-ED RN-BC Jones is a registered nurse and freelance health writer with more than two decades of healthcare experience.

• Second Opinion

Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones

The ability to hear is essential for proper speech and language development. Hearing problems may be suspected in children who are not responding to sounds or who are not developing their language skills appropriately. The following are some age-related guidelines that may help to decide if your child is experiencing hearing problems.

It's important to remember that not every child is the same. Children reach milestones at different ages. Talk your child's healthcare provider if you are suspicious that your child is not developing speech and language skills correctly. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and other experts list the following age-appropriate speech and language milestones for babies and young children.

Milestones related to speech and language

Related Links

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Voice and Swallow Program
• Pediatric Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery (ENT)
• What Is Airway Reconstruction?
• Language Disorders in Children
• The Growing Child: 3-Year-Olds
• Speech Sound Disorders in Children

Related Topics

Age-Appropriate Speech and Hearing Milestones

Hearing Problems and Speech and Language Milestones

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• 1 to 2 years
• 2 to 3 years
• 3 to 5 years

Learning to talk: 1 to 2 years

Your child will start to recognise more words than they can say at this age, so every conversation, game or story will be supporting their understanding.

Try to respond to their babble and pick out and expand on words they're saying. It'll help them become a more confident communicator.

Video: Sing songs and rhymes together

Singing songs and rhymes are a fun way to introduce your child to new words and sounds and to get them active too!

Activities for your daily routine

The different colours and shapes of food provide an engaging way to teach your child about patterns.

Use foods they recognise, such as bananas and grapes, and cut them into small pieces or halves.

Create a pattern with the fruit, saying the name of each fruit aloud as you place them on the plate.

It might feel like you're encouraging your child to play with their food but it's a fun way to add to their vocabulary.

During bath time, give your child two simple containers, one bigger and one smaller, to play with.

Together, fill the small container with water and pour it into the big container.

Once the bigger container is full, show your child the difference between full and empty.

This helps them understand the idea of measurement and size.

Don't worry if they get distracted, there's lots of fun to be had in the bath!

Try using different shaped objects

Experiment with different shaped containers to help your child learn about holding and managing objects.

Count as you pour

Each time you fill or empty a container, count this as one. Continue to count as you play together.

Out and about

When you're out shopping, you can help your child learn by exploring their surroundings.

Ask your child to point out food items they may recognise from home. You could begin by introducing your shopping list by saying, "We need bread and apples".

When you arrive at a specific aisle ask them to point out one item.

It's ok if they don't get it the first time. Encourage them by asking a follow-up question such as, "I think I can see the apples, can you see them too?".

Keep the task simple

Keep it simple for your child by asking about one item at a time and avoid overwhelming them with too much information at once.

Choose items that your child can see

Select items at your child's eye level to make it easier for them to recognise what you're asking for.

Video: Talk about the sounds around you

Watch a dad make and respond to sounds and noises his child makes. Practicing repeating them back to your child helps them to hear and recognise sounds.

Little tips for everyday play

• name objects and offer your child choices, for example, "Do you want an apple or an orange?"
• say the names of the foods your child is eating and talk about what they're like using words like, "sweet", "sour", "round", "smooth" "cold", "warm"
• look at picture books together – give your child time to point things out and talk about what they can see using words for actions and things, for example, "The baby is sleeping"
• draw simple pictures and encourage your child to add marks and colours while you talk about them
• find songs and rhymes that use gestures and objects
• play pretend games together like teddy bears' picnic
• combine water play with pretend play by giving dolly a bath – talk about what you are doing, like "Wash dolly's legs", "Wash dolly's tummy"
• pretend to be a rabbit as you bite into a carrot, or a mouse nibbling some cheese – make sure you both have some food to try!

Tiny Happy People on the BBC website has fun activity inspiration to help your child learn to talk, play and sing.

Libraries are a free way to access age appropriate books. Some also run story time sessions for parents and their children. Find your local library service on gov.uk .

Your local council may offer activities too. Find learning activities for your child on gov.uk .

Family hubs

Family hubs offer support to children, young people and their families. They provide a single place to go for support and information from a variety of organisations, making it easier to get the support you need.

They can provide guidance on issues such as feeding your baby or toddler, mental health and parenting support.

Family Hubs are currently operating in 75 local authorities across England.

How to help their speech development

Here are some tips and activities to help your child develop their speech skills:

• try playing with things your child is interested in, and be at their level physically while you're playing together
• notice what your child is looking or pointing at and talk about it, try to do this before their attention moves on to something else – that might be within a couple of seconds for babies and toddlers
• use picture books to introduce your child to new things – point to the pictures and say what you see
• take turns to make noises or speak with your child, as you can respond to their babbling by copying back the sounds you hear and then waiting for them to take another turn
• make reading, singing and playing fun by using lots of actions and different voices
• use the same song or book – young children learn a lot when they are familiar with particular songs and books
• talk to your child in short, simple sentences, as it helps them understand what you are saying and makes it easier for them to have a go at copying when they're ready

Learning more than 1 language

It's important to talk to your child in the language or languages you use.

A child learning more than 1 language should babble and say their first words in the same way as a child learning one language.

It is important not to confuse this slight delay with language difficulties – most children quickly catch up.

For more help on languages, have a look at the parent's questions on the National Literacy Trust website .

Help and advice

Your child may not have any routine developmental reviews during the age of 1 to 2. If you feel your child needs a little extra support, your health visitor can help. They may put you in touch with a speech and language therapy team, or give you details of local activities.

If your child is going to nursery or another early years setting, staff will be able to help keep track of your child's development. Some children are eligible for free nursery places at 2 years old. Ask your health visitor for more information.

Ask your health visitor for more support whenever you need it, they will be able to provide tips and advice.

Remember, children learn to talk at different ages. If you are worried, speak to your health visitor or nursery key worker, or contact your local speech and language therapy service for advice.

For more ideas on how you can help your child, visit:

• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Speech and language therapy
• Speech and Language UK

Early learning and development

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2 Year Old Speech Milestones

Your baby is growing up so quickly, they’ll soon be a toddler before you know it.

Preschool may be around the corner, but you’re feeling concerned. Your child isn’t speaking as clearly or as often as you expected by now. Maybe other kids just seem to be more verbal, talkative, or engaging.

Are they on track with 2 year old speech milestones compared to others? Learn more about what you should know, how you can help, and if speech therapy at home may be right for you and your child.

What are some 2 year old speech milestones? What is normal speech for a 2 year old?

At 24 months of age, your 2 year old should meet the following speech milestones:

• Be able to say sentences with at least two to four words
• Use and understand at least 50 words
• Follow simple instructions
• Initiate conversations
• Shows excitement when interacting with other children
• Look for familiar objects around a room, or call out loud and name specific objects

If your child is still occasionally babbling or speaking in a way where you can’t understand everything precisely, don’t worry. At 2 years old, parents and caregivers should understand roughly 50% of a child’s speech.

When should I be concerned about my 2 year old’s speech?

If your child hasn’t yet met all these 2 year old speech milestones, you shouldn’t worry. Each child’s development journey is unique. What you can do is ensure you express your concerns with your child’s doctor.

If your child hasn’t yet started to talk, you may also be concerned about their speech delay. This likely became a concern during earlier screenings that you discussed with your doctor, especially at 12 months when you considered your child’s 1 year old speech milestones . If you didn’t address this during previous check-ups, now is the time.

If you feel as though your child’s doctor isn’t providing thorough care, consider asking for a second opinion.

Does my 2 year old have a speech delay? How do I know?

Here are a few 2 year old speech milestones to evaluate a speech delay. You should share the following concerns with your child’s doctor if they:

• Say only a few sounds or words with significant repetition
• Can’t use their words to describe immediate needs
• Can only imitate speech — unable to produce words spontaneously
• Have difficulty understanding simple requests

Delays are detected through developmental and behavioral screening. These are generally performed at scheduled intervals by your child’s doctor at the following well-child visits:

• 24 or 30 months

This is a basic screening tool — not a true diagnosis. It merely indicates if your child is on track with their developmental milestones.

If you feel as though your child’s doctor is not appropriately examining your child, be persistent! Your doctor likely does not spend extended periods of time with your child, but you do. When a doctor identifies a problem, their next step will be to order a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.

During a comprehensive evaluation, your child’s behavior will be thoroughly analyzed. Experts will administer examinations that may include a hearing and vision screening, genetic testing, neurological exam, and other medical testing.

This comprehensive developmental evaluation is an in-depth look at your child’s development. This involves multiple clinical experts, including a developmental pediatrician, audiologist, child psychologist, child neurologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, among others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

A speech delay can be the result of an oral impairment with your child’s tongue or palate. It may also be an oral-motor problem, where the brain has difficulty communicating with the lips, tongue, and jaw to verbally produce sounds. Hearing issues may also contribute to speech language development problems.

How can I improve my 2 year old’s speech? What can I do at home to help?

Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in speech language development. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can help your child.

Reading to your child is the best way to expand your child’s vocabulary and promote language development. Picking out a variety of books and stories with colorful illustrations and new words, animals, or people is highly recommended. Be sure to select books that are appropriate for your child’s age.

Throughout the day, you can work conversations with your child into learning lessons. Whether you’re at the park, walking the dog, at the grocery store, you can explain to your child who the mailman is, what you should do with your shoes, how you turn on the lights, where the magazines go back, when you’ll be done, or why you’re chopping peppers for dinner. These are all daily scenarios that build positive language development, and when your child practices them with you, they’ll learn new speech habits as a baby, toddler, or 2 year old.

What are signs of autism in a 2 year old?

Autism spectrum disorder is difficult to pinpoint before your child is 24 months old.

Do you suspect your 2 year old has autism spectrum disorder (or ASD)? Here are 10 signs to keep an eye on:

• Seldom uses eye contact
• Difficulty in showing affection
• Rarely responding to their name when called
• Rarely shows interest in playing with other children
• Not consistently gestures (wave “bye bye” or clap)
• Seldom asks for help
• Repeats the same words or phrases constantly without an interest in communicating
• Struggles to follow simple directions
• Rarely engages in or initiates a conversation, for example pointing to a dog, make a barking noise, and making eye contact with you to ensure you heard them
• Regressing from earlier learned language skills, or suddenly no longer progressing in vocabulary or language development

Many of these communication differences in children with Autism are highlighted by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It’s important to remember that just because your 2 year old has one or a few of these signs of Autism spectrum disorder, this does not mean they have autism. Be sure to express your concerns with your child’s pediatrician and advocate for a formal evaluation.

How does speech therapy help my 2 year old?

Individual sessions that follow a structured, comprehensive plan are critical to success. At Great Speech, our licensed speech-language pathologists meet with you and your child at the most convenient times, without the headaches of tiring traffic or waiting rooms.

Our speech-language pathologists will analyze what your child understands, what language they can articulate, how they develop sounds and how clearly they speak, and any oral-motor impairments. Because each child is different, these steps help produce a customized plan for your child.

Schedule an introductory phone call today to learn more about how we’ll help your child swiftly move past their two year old speech milestones — all from the comfort of your own home.

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17 Tips To Help A Toddler With A Speech Delay

• Ages and Stages – Language Development Milestones
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• Birth to 2 Years Old
• 2 to 4 Years Old

Seeme & Liz > 17 Tips To Help A Toddler With A Speech Delay

For the purpose of this article, a toddler refers to children between the ages of 18 and 30 months (give or take a few months).  However, many of these tips will work for other age groups as well.

Before I get into the tips I want to make sure you understand the difference between speech and language, as many people will say “my toddler has a speech delay” when they actually are referring to a language delay.

So here is a very brief overview of each:

What is Speech Development?

Speech development refers to the production of specific speech sounds.

Most children will learn the sounds /p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /h/ and /w/ first, along with some basic vowel sounds.

What is Language Development?

Language development refers to both the use and understanding of language.  This encompasses:

• learning and using new words
• understanding words
• combining words into phrases and sentences
• asking and answering questions
• following directions
• social skills such as turn taking, eye contact, etc.

As I said, this is a basic overview to show you the differences between speech and language development.

The tips I am about to share with you will be for both speech and language!  Make sure you have some time set aside to get through the entire list!

If you feel (or have been told) that your toddler’s speech and language development is not where it should be for his/her age give these tips a try.

Speech Delay In Toddlers: 17 Ways You Can Help At Home

*This article may contain affiliate links *

1. Have Your Child’s Hearing Checked

Even if you think that your toddler can hear everything, their hearing may not be 100%.  The cause of a mild to moderate hearing loss in toddlers is usually due to ear infections and/or middle ear fluid.

Since any language a young child is hearing is new to them, they don’t know what to expect.  So they must hear everything clearly if they are going to use and understand that language.

Something as simple as fluid in a child’s ears can affect their hearing.  

Imagine yourself underwater and hearing a language that you are not familiar with.  This is what it can sound like to a child with a hearing loss as a result of middle ear fluid.

If your child has a history of ear infections, you can make an appointment with an audiologist to have your toddler’s hearing checked.

2.  Seek The Advice of a Speech-Language Pathologist

If you ever feel like your child is delayed in any area of development seek professional help.  The earlier the better!

A child’s early years (birth to 3) are a crucial time in their development.  Please do not take on a “wait and see” approach when it comes to your child.  You are not a bad parent because your child is not developing as per expectations.  And you will be a great parent by seeking help for your child.

To find a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist within North America, please click on the Resources tab.  In North America Speech-Language services are often publicly funded for children under the age of 3!

You can also get started with the It Takes Two To Talk book, written by Speech-Language Pathologist Elaine Weitzman.

This book has so much actionable information for parents!  Please do not be discouraged by the price tag!

3. Speak Slowly

Think about yourself learning a new language.  If the people you are in regular contact with are speaking quickly and never repeating themselves, you would have a hard time learning that language.  The same goes for your toddler.  This is especially true if your child is learning more than one language.

If you notice your toddler has tuned you out, or seems to be ignoring you, it could be because you are simply going to fast and they can’t keep up (or it could relate to Tip 1).

Slow down when you are speaking directly to your child!  You don’t need to sound like you are in slow motion, but take your time when speaking.

Be sure to use baby talk correctly though!

4. Make Eye Contact

Make sure you are looking at your child when you are speaking to them.  Children can learn a lot by looking at your mouth while you are speaking.  Making eye contact is also an essential part of communication (in most cultures).  It’s a foundation skill that comes naturally to most children!

5. Over Pronounce Early Sounds

As I mentioned above, the first sounds typically made by a baby/toddler are /p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /h/ and /w/.  If your child is struggling with these early sounds make sure you are pronouncing them very clearly.  And from time to time, over pronounce them.

For example, if you are blowing bubbles for your child really enunciate the “p” in “pop”.  You can even point to your mouth to draw your child’s attention to the movement of your lips while you are saying “pop”.  The same goes for “bubble”.

6.  DO NOT Make Your Child Repeat You

This can be a tricky one for many parents.  I have seen it happen many times.

A child will say a word, for example “bud” (for “bubble”) and the parent will say something like “oh you mean bubble, say bubble, I know you can, say bubble.”  This will result in your toddler becoming very frustrated and tuning out.

It’s ok for you to repeat the word, but drop the expectation of having them repeat you.  While you may think your child should be capable of saying the word correctly, they probably aren’t.

Many toddlers are not developmentally ready to pronounce every sound and word correctly.

Pronunciation, or articulation  involves many muscles and fine motor skills that a toddler has not developed yet.

7. Be a Good Speech/Language Model

This one is pretty much a summary of tips 3,4,5 and 6.

If you are following all of these tips, then you are being a good speech and language model!  And this leads us into tip 8.

8. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

You will feel like a broken record, but your child needs the repetition.  Children need to hear words 100’s and often 1000’s of times before they begin using the word themselves in a meaningful way (not just repeating you or only using it in certain situations).

Let’s go back to the bubbles activity.  Narrate what you are doing.

For example, you could say “look at the bubble , do you see the bubble?   The bubble is floating away.  Uh oh, the bubble popped.  Let’s blow another bubble “.  In the 2-3 seconds it took you to say those phrases, you have said the word “bubble” 5 times!

9. Get Down to Your Child’s Level

Your child will gain more from your interactions with them if you are down at their level.  This means getting down on the floor and playing.  I know this can be hard for some parents.

I will admit that despite my background and having worked with children before having my own, this was one of the hardest things for me to do.  It just didn’t feel natural to me.  I would have much preferred to sit on a chair and “observe” my children.

However, I know the importance of “getting down to their level” that I made myself do this.

It does get easier and the reward of seeing your child’s smiling face makes it worth the effort.  So let your inner child out!

10. Choose Toys Without Batteries, or Remove Them When Possible

This section has so much information that I actually made it  an article of its own !

Toys with batteries can get quite annoying.  And for toddlers, the sounds that these toys make will not enhance their learning.

Some toy manufacturers claim that their toy will teach a child “letters, numbers, colors, etc”, but I have to disagree and many others would support this idea.  The whole goal is to get your toddler vocal and verbalizing.

If the toy is doing all of the “talking” the child can sit back and listen.  Also, most children are more likely to imitate a person over an electronic toy.

Another thing I would like to point out is that you should not be trying to teach your baby or toddler academic skills (don’t even get me started on the “your baby can read” program – luckily the company seems to have gone out of business).

There is plenty of time for a toddler to learn academic skills .  Language skills are a greater indicator of success later on in school than the fact that your 2 year old can recite their ABC’s.

Now, all of that being said, I will contradict myself a bit.  Don’t feel like you cannot have any toys with batteries. Some toys need batteries for basic functioning.  My son had a pretty cool ball drop  toy that he engaged with more when the batteries were in it.

It came with 3 clear balls that had little animal figures inside (so of course I always told him the animal names and the sounds they made and said the word “ball” many, many times).  He could drop the ball into the trees that were part of the toy and watch them come out and then be spun around.  The music it played was a bit irritating, but the spinners didn’t work without batteries.

I love open ended toys such as play kitchens , play houses , dolls, blocks, etc.

There are many more opportunities to develop language skills with these types of toys!

11. Expand and Add Language

If your toddler is starting to use some single words, expand on what they said and add more language.

For example, if your child brings you a toy truck and says “truck” you could respond with “yes, it’s a big truck”, placing the emphasis on “big truck”.

You could then add even more language around the word “truck”.  “The truck has wheels” or “The truck is red”, etc.  Or if your child drops something and says “uh oh”, respond and say “uh oh, your cup fell down, let’s pick up your cup “.

12. Take a Step Back

Try not to dominate your child’s playtime.  Take a step back and watch what your toddler is doing and then wait some more.

Listen to see if your child is saying anything to themselves.  Or if they aren’t using any words, perhaps your child is gesturing or looking intently at something.  By taking a step back you can find many new opportunities to communicate with your child!

13. Let Your Child Lead

Your child may be interested in things that aren’t of much interest to you.  You may try to steer them towards a toy you feel they should be playing with, or an activity you believe would be better for them.

If your toddler expresses an interest in something and you follow their lead , they will be much more interested in interacting with you.  You can let your child lead by imitating what they are doing, commenting on what your child is doing and repeating things they say (and expanding), etc.

If you are interested in something, chances are you will be more engaged than if you are doing something that you aren’t interested in.  The same goes for a child.  If the child is always redirected and doesn’t have the opportunity to do what they would like to do, they will naturally disengage and the language learning opportunities will be lessened.

14. Skip the Academics

As I mentioned in Tip 10, many toy manufacturers are using the fact that their toy teaches “academic skills” as a selling feature.  Please do not listen to this.

A toddler does not need to work on academic skills .

What they do need to work on is developing play skills .

Play skills build the foundation for academic skills later on!

15. Read, Read, Read

Read to your child daily!  Find simple yet engaging books.  But stay away from e-books for children of this age group.

While an e-book on a phone/tablet may be engaging because of the ability to touch an item on the screen and watch something happen (cause and effect), studies have shown that children do not engage with this type of book the same way that they do with a physical book.  Children do not retain what they heard to the same extent that they do with a physical book.

Cause and effect books do exist as physical books!  These are usually “lift the flap” books or “pop-up” books.

Looking at a physical book (holding it, pointing to pictures – without something happening, turning the pages) helps with pre-literacy skills and print awareness.

When looking at books with your child, you do not always have to read the story word for word.  Make it up as you go!  Let your child point to items in the book and then pause and wait.  Listen; your child may say or sign something.

If the book you are reading is a repetitive book such as the classic “Brown Bear Brown Bear” by Bill Martin/Eric Carle and your child has heard it several times, pause to see if your child will fill in the blanks.

16. Ask Questions (but not too many)

Ask your child questions to keep the conversation going, but don’t ask too many.  You don’t want to come across as a drill sergeant.

Ask simple questions such as “where is the ball?” (assuming the child can see it) or “what is on your foot?”  This will help with a child’s understanding of language and reinforces vocabulary words.

However, don’t “test” your child.  This will end up causing a lot of frustration and perhaps even some temper tantrums.

17. Use Routines, Songs and Finger Plays

Some childhood routines you may be familiar with such as peek-a-boo .

A routine basically has certain steps that follow an order and can be repeated many times.  Children learn from these routines because of the repetition and if the routine is a people game such as “peek-a-boo” it is also quite fun for the child.  You can also make up your own routine if there is something your child is interested in.

My children loved the “fall down” routine we made up when they were around 2 years old.  I would have them sit on my lap and move my legs up and down while saying “bump, bump, bump”, then I would pause and say “uh oh you fell down” and slightly open my legs allowing them to “fall” (while still holding my child of course).  This always ended up in laughter and them telling me they wanted more of this activity.

Songs and finger plays are also a great way to help with language development.  Nursery rhymes also fall into this category.  An example of a finger play would be “This Little Piggy”.

A song that my daughter was fascinated with that we turned into a routine was “Row Row Row Your Boat”.  She sat facing me holding my hands.  I would gently pull her back and forth towards me while singing.  At the end when we got to “life is but a dream” I would slowly let go so that she would end up laying down.  She thought it was the greatest thing ever!

Toddlers also love finger puppets that you can incorporate into finger plays!  The puppets allow for further vocabulary development and can be used later on for story telling as well.

I hope that these tips will help you and your child!  Please leave me a comment and let me know if you are using any of these tips with your child.

Keep this article for reference by pinning any image below to your favorite Pinterest boards!

47 Comments

Enjoyed reading this article, very informative. I’ll be sure to use some of these strategies.

Glad you enjoyed the article!

I love your article. I started researching about speech delay because I already started to worry about my son (turning 2 in 2 weeks). He can’t communicate yet and sometimes he’s not paying attention when I try to say something to him. He already knows the alphabet A-Z, He says letter B “ba”, H “ha” and some are incorrect like Y sounds like letter “E”. I bought him flashcards and when I show it and ask him “what letter is this?” He knows what exactly it is, but some letters he pronounce incorrectly. But as a mother, I can understand what he’s trying to say.

I’m Filipina and my husband is American. I sometimes talk to him in Filipino but mostly English as I want him to learn English first. My son knows some words but not perfectly like “do” for dog, “fa-wo” for flower and when I’m feeding him, I say “yum yum” repeatedly before I give him the food and he says “nam nam” and when I say “NO, DON’T GO OUT” he gets mad and says the word “No” too.

If your son has less than 20 words he is using regularly I strongly suggest you have him seen by a speech pathologist. Don’t worry about academic skills such as the alphabet, counting, shapes, etc. as knowing these things do not provide functional communication . The goal right now should be to have him communicate with purpose.

I shared many tips in this article that you can use. Additionally, the book “ It Takes Two To Talk ” is packed with extremely useful information that can help you get your son speaking.

You could also try introducing sign language to help him express himself. Take a look at the 2 articles I have written that can help you get started.

Baby Sign Language Basics – What You Need To Know!

Teach Your Baby Sign Language: It’s Easier Than You Think!

Also make sure that you are using proper words and grammar as much as possible! So instead of trying to have him repeat “yum yum” say (and sign) the word “eat” and hopefully he will repeat that.

It shouldn’t be a problem for you to keep speaking to him in Filipino but since you and your husband both speak English it might be a good idea to focus on English for the next few months to help him get stronger in that language.

Also, don’t worry about how he is pronouncing words for now. Once he is 3 his speech should be understood about 75% of the time. At the age of 2 it’s about 50% of the time.

I hope this helps!

My daughter just turned 24 months. She understands everything. I read your article and tried doublechecking but she indeed was able to take a toy hotdog and put it on the chair, under the table, on the keyboard, in a slipper, on my head, she found this game great fun. I made sure not to look at anything. She draws detailed drawings of animals including eyes and noses and holds the pen like an adult. She communicates with her sister, daddy and me constantly. She only speaks about 20 words and several of them aren’t “real” words ie. a dinosaur is a “rah-rah” (because they roar) all dogs are called “bah-pah” because she got a plush Snoopy 6 months ago and couldn’t say “snoopy” so called it bah-pah and now ALL dogs are “bah-pah” she does say things like “baby bah-pah” or “baby rah-rah” and “Dada rah-rah” “mama rah-rah” and “May-may rah-rah” which is a mama dog, daddy dog, and her sister Amy who she calls May-may so an Amy dog. She uses mama and dada and may-may and baby for size. So a big dog is a “dada bah-pah” also, a ghost is a “boo” because they say “boo” and an owl is a “hoo-hoo” because they say “hoo” her big sister, just turned 6 years, was always extremely advanced. I mean, that kids could LITERALLY say “micropachycephalosaurus” at age two. That’s a dinosaur, by the way. That said, I am not worried. She seems happy, healthy, bright, engaged, and she communicates extrememly well, but often by using her very limited vocabulary in clever ways. If she’s hungry, she will say “yum-yums” and then, maybe for example “dada yum yums” meaning bananas, which only her father eats. She also points and uses hand gestures and movements, so if she wants the dancing snoopy, it’s “Bah-pah” and she’s do a little dance. She rats on her big sister if she does something not nice, like hiding her toy. She’ll get my attention use a combo of facial expressions, pull me over to the room, then use her very limited words, “May-may” and the missing toy “bahp” (a bahp is a ball), then gesture to where Amy put it up high so she can’t get it. So… my mother’s heart feels like she’s fine and will speak, it’s just that she does seem to be adding words only EXTREMELY slowly. Her hearing is fine. She’s been tested by the pediatrician. We are a screen free / screen lite family so she’s not parked in front of a screen. She is home with me and her sister is homeschooled. Anyway, I wonder is some kids just speak later than others but are fine.

It sounds like your daughter may be a late talker. You can read my article about that here .

Children typically have about 20 words by 18 months and 50 words by 24 months, therefore I would suggest having her assessed by a speech-language pathologist. They may not see her for therapy if they feel she is truly a late talker but rather would provide you with a home program and then check in with you from time to time to see how she is progressing.

That is great that you are limiting her screen time as face to face interactions are best. It is also good to avoid battery operated toys that do all the talking !

It is important that you always repeat back what she has said using the correct word(s) and correct grammar as much as possible. So for example if she says “May May bahp” in frustration, then repeat back “Amy hid the ball”. However, one strategy that is often used by speech pathologists is placing favorite items (toys or food) just out of reach so that the child has to communicate their wants. So when her sister hides something from her, that is a great time to model correct speech.

You can try and see if she can imitate you, but don’t push it as that will lead to frustration.

I highly recommend the book It Takes Two To Talk as it is written for parents and provides you with strategies to use at home no matter the level of communication your child is at.

Have you tried having her repeat words? If so, is she able to do this?

Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

My daughter will be 3 on Monday (10/26) and I notice she talks on her own time meaning if I ask her something or gesture her to say something she won’t say it until she is ready. She does not use sentences all the time. When she gets frustrated she throws tantrums and yells or cries instead of saying what exactly is wrong with her. She has been going to speech therapy once a week for 30 mins and I always get good feed back from the sessions. When I ask the therapist if there is more I can do she says to encourage her to ask for things and nursery rhymes which she’s done even prior to beginning speech therapy. Her school recommended child find program to have a therapist come to the school and assist and at this point I don’t know what more I can do to encourage my daughter to expand on her speech. I honestly feel with the limited speech it’s causing a delay on potty training so I am opened to any suggestions at this point

Hi Crystal,

Sorry to hear that your daughter is struggling with her language development. You haven taken all of the steps I would recommend.

If your daughter has only recently started speech therapy it’s not surprising that there hasn’t been progress. It can take a few months before you see changes happening.

I would suggest introducing some sign language to her (if you haven’t done so yet). This should help ease some of her frustrations. It can also help with potty training.

Here are 2 articles that I have written about sign language: Baby Sign Language Basics – What You Need To Know! Teach Your Baby Sign Language: It’s Easier Than You Think!

Signing Savvy is a wonderful online sign language video dictionary. You can create a free account and get access to many signs. The signs shown are in American Sign Language. Some of the ASL signs can be tricky for little kids to make so you can adapt them if you want. I talk about this in the articles I referenced above.

Has your daughter’s therapist recommended the book “ It Takes Two To Talk “? If not, I highly recommend this book. It is packed with information for parents of late talking children.

How would you say your daughter’s understanding of language is? Can she follow directions? You can take a look at an article I wrote on the subject here .

I agree with what the therapist suggested with regard having your daughter request things she wants. Keeping favorite foods and toys slightly out of reach can help encourage her to communicate. She may point and whine at the item at which point you can model the word and see if she will repeat it. You can also do this with sign language where you make the sign and say the word. She may repeat the sign before the word.

Repetitive word books are also great for language development. You can take a look at some of my recommendations here .

I hope this helps and feel free to ask me any other questions you have.

This is great, thank you — bookmarking! I have a 2-year-old who is a clever little monkey but definitely struggling with his speech. We’re on a waiting list but this will help in the meantime 🙂

I’m happy to hear that your son is on a waiting list for speech therapy! Good luck with everything and feel free to reach out if you have any questions in the meantime.

I cannot enter my email address to get this download. Help!!!

Sorry you were not able to download the PDF. I have sent it to you via email. Make sure to check your spam folder!

Thank you for all the helpful tips! Very informative and practical, I will definitely try this with my 21mos old son. He can’t speak a full word yet, but he can make syllable sounds (both vowel and consonants) I actually don’t know where to start to help him. He’s fond of watching phonics songs but everytime I try to teach him, he seems not interested. Where should I start? 1. Limit his screen time even though he enjoys it? 2. Toss his toys that are not helpful with his development? 3. Should I use flashcards, wooden puzzles or charts/boards?

Would love to hear your thoughts. Again thank you for giving us moms a peace of mind and light to issues like this. God bless you more as you serves as a blessing to many.

The first thing I would recommend is to have him seen by a speech language pathologist. They can do a full assessment and guide you in the right direction. Definitely limit his screen time. Unfortunately all children enjoy it but it is not good for their development. The same goes for electronic toys where all he does is push buttons.

Some TV shows such as Sesame Street are ok in moderation as he may pick up some words. But children learn best from interaction with others.

Take a look at some of my articles in the language development section of the website. Here are a few you can start with:

Educational Toys For 2 Year Old’s – How To Choose The Best Ones! The Best Play Kitchens For Language Development Straightforward Speech Therapy Activities For Toddlers You Can Do At Home

My son is 3 and a half. He knows all the words, alphabets, numbers. But the only problem is that he isnt able to combine them in to a sentence. He would just use the noun or color to specify an object. I have been taking him to a speech therapist since October but I dont see much improvement in him. I read to him alot, and repeat alot of things again and again but i am not able to figure out what is wrong. His hearing test came out fine and he is not on the autism side either. If there is something you could suggest to further help him with would be wonderful?

Unfortunately I cannot tell you exactly what is going on with your son. It sounds like you are definitely doing everything that I would be doing in this situation. Have you asked his speech therapist what may be going on? Has he been seen by a psychologist who works with young children, or perhaps a developmental pediatrician? Try reading some repetitive phrase books to him to see if he will imitate one of the phrases after hearing the book several times. I have written an article about books to use to help with language development. Click here to read it. Keep repeating what he says and expanding it to add a few more words. But try hard to keep your longer version grammatically correct . For example, if he says “shoe” you could say “yes, that’s your shoe” or find your own show and say “My shoe” and then point to his and say “your shoe” or even “This is my shoe”.

I hope this helps and hopefully you will get some answers as to what is going on soon. Keep taking him to different people who may be able to help figure out what could be causing this.

Wishing you all the best!

We thought we were doing our daughter justice by introducing two languages at the same time but am wondering if that is the leading cause to her potential speech/language delay. She just turned two and only has about 15-18 words. Many of her words are animal sounds… Moo, quack quack, woof woof, meow, etc. her understanding and all other milestones are on point. Her pediatrician is referring us for a speech evaluation. Wondering what may be the potential cause? I have to note that she gestures and signs a lot for what she wants… but isn’t vocalizing. I have to say I am the type of person that worries, stresses and definitely jumps to conclusions. Like is she ever going to talk??

Introducing two languages at once typically does not cause a language delay. Some children will have a slight delay in either both languages or one more than the other, but this should resolve quickly. Is she using the 15-18 words in both languages or is she giving preference to one over the other? A speech evaluation is also what I would recommend but because your daughter just turned 2 and is exposed to two languages I wouldn’t worry too much yet. But it is definitely something to keep an eye on.

The speech language pathologist that is doing the evaluation may recommend a home program to try for a few months.

It is better to worry a bit and take action early than it is to take a wait and see approach and end up with a 4 year old that is barely talking.

I commend your pediatrician on recommending an evaluation as many doctors tend to put parents minds at ease by telling them to just wait and see.

Honestly, so many of her words are animal sounds but the words that are not animal sounds are in English. I will do the evaluation because I too agree that i would rather be overly cautious than not. One more question-do you count words that are baby talk and used exclusively and consistently to identify particular things? For example-my daughter refers to kids as “Gaga” and has for a very long time. Her pediatrician won’t count it but another doctor said too. Sounds like they are on extreme ends and would love a third middle ground opinion.

Animal sounds and made up or “baby words” do count as words as long as they are only being used to refer to that specific object, person or animal. For example, if a child that says “moo” for all animals then it cannot be counted as a true word. If your daughter is only saying “gaga” to refer to children (and not people in general) then it is considered a word. Just like a child saying “baba” for bottle or “wawa” for water. Those are words. But if “baba” is used to refer to anything the child wants to eat or drink then it is not a word.

I hope this helps.

Some of these tips were super helpful! One of my children have a speech delay and I used the assessment here https://bit.ly/2vBCC2w To help figure out that they had it. Hopefully this helps the other mommies that unsure as well!

Thanks Jess! And thanks for sharing the assessment. I did not go through it so I can’t attest to it’s quality.

Whether using an online assessment or not, if you feel your child’s speech and/or language skills are behind please have an assessment done by a registered speech-language pathologist who will guide you in the right direction!

Loved the article! Do you have any specific tips/thoughts related to unintelligible speech? My almost 3 yr old talks a lot but much of his speech is still unintelligible to others. We are in the process of setting up an evaluation. Thanks!

Thanks Theresa,

Some of the tips I shared in the article would be applicable in your situation. For example, be sure that you are speaking clearly and enunciating early sounds such as /p,b,m,n,h,w/ when talking to your son. Since you probably understand much of what he is saying (despite others not being able to), repeat back what he said slowly and clearly. But don’t ask him to repeat you. Make eye contact with him and try to have his attention before you begin speaking (I know this isn’t always possible, but try as much as you can).

Good for you for setting up an evaluation. It is so much better to be proactive. I would also suggest setting up an appointment with an audiologist to have his hearing checked. Even a mild hearing loss (usually caused by fluid in the ear) can result in a child having difficulty producing sounds clearly.

I hope this has helped and hopefully you won’t have to wait too long to see a speech therapist.

You have many informative, educational and useful ideas in this article. You have covered so much and really have me thinking. As a parent of 4 children it can be so hard to see any issues with your amazing child. You love them so much and only see the perfect person that they are, and they talk a little and you are so proud. But you have given great points and said clearly what you should do. Thank you

Hi Michael,

Thanks so much for your comment. I am happy that you have found the article helpful.

I enjoyed reading your article. I had speech delays when I was little. I always attributed it to the fact I was an only child and both of my parents worked full-time running a hobby store and I did not get a lot of one-on-one time with them. I spent a lot time in the backroom of the hobby shop playing with toys and since I was an only child, I did not interact much with others. It was a garden railroad hobby shop and my first word was “train” because those are the words I heard most often.

Which brings me to my questions. I personally think environment has a lot to do with speech delays. I also think children who are born to a family of siblings will also have better chance of not developing speech delays because there will be other kids also talking to the toddler. Would love to hear your thoughts on that and how those factors affect speech delays.

Thank you for writing this article.

Thanks for your questions and sharing a bit about your childhood. Yes, the environment a child is raised in plays a very important role in a child’s development. This is why I am such a proponent for learning through play and experiential learning as opposed to focusing on early academic skills.

However, I know several speech therapist’s whose children have speech delays. So it is not only a child’s environment that is important. But when a child is identified as having a delay of any kind it is important for the parents to do as much as they can at home.

As for siblings, this can help a child, but there are many only children with no language development issues. The same goes with first born children. Many don’t have a sibling until they are 3 or 4 years old and well on their way with language development.

I hope that I was able to answer your questions.

Fascinating article! I definitely agree with Tip 15: Read, Read, Read. One of my fondest memories growing up was the time my parents spent reading to me. I make it a point to read to my children every day. They enjoy the time we spend together and the benefits will hopefully last them a lifetime. I sure enjoy the time we spend reading together as well. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about helping toddlers with their speech.

Thanks for your comment. Reading and exposure to books is an essential part of a child’s development. As you have mentioned, it is also a great way for parents to spend some quality time with their children!

Great article.

I have a toddler at home and I’ve done the repeat after me bit, but now that I’ve read your article, I will not be doing that again.

Also, my son has a very active imagination and prefers the TV to be off, and also doesn’t really like the talking toys and always tells me to turn them off.

Very useful article and definitely gives the reader peace of mind if they are worried.

Thanks Ian. I know many parents that ask their toddler to repeat what was said. Doing it here and there won’t cause any harm, but try not to make a habit of it.

Your son sounds like my daughter. She can only handle so much “screen time”. After about an hour she wanders off to play. Now that she is 8 she has started writing her own short stories. They are very cute! She doesn’t like to read, but she loves to write. Go figure!

My youngest son started to say his first words only at the age of 3. And both my wife and myself were worried because our eldest son was able to mouth his first words on his first year. How I wished this post was written then or someone had written such a informative article. Well done.

Thanks for your comment. I am not sure how old your son is now, but hopefully he is doing well and that he has not had any issues as a result of being late to talk.

Interesting, I didn’t know speech delay was such an issue with kids! I learned the alphabet and how to talk a little bit by the time I was 1 years old, so its pretty shocking to know some kids can’t learn words yet as a toddler. I guess if it’s an actual medical condition or something, it totally makes sense though!

I wouldn’t say a speech delay in toddlers is a common issue, but it does happen. And for many toddlers there is no medical condition that can explain it. We all develop at different rates. However, as more and more research is done with babies and children and how they learn, we are learning a lot.

We used to think that children should develop at their own pace (especially if there was no underlying condition) and it was quite normal for children to start speaking anywhere between 1 and 3 years old. Dr’s told parents not to worry when their two or three year old was not speaking. However, we are now finding out that about 20-30% of these children who were late to talk (but did eventually speak) struggle in school with reading and writing.

Studies are also showing that early intervention (seeking treatment prior to the age of 3) does help these children and allows them to be successful despite being late to talk.

Thank you for taking the time to speak about underdeveloped speech in toddlers. You are shedding light on a subject that was in complete darkness for me. You have gone into great detail and have brought forth many great points. I had no idea and would have never thought to take the batteries out of the toys that say that they are “teaching” Again Thanks.

Thanks William! Unfortunately child speech and language development is not a subject that most parents are very familiar with. Also not all doctors are aware of the speech and language milestones children should be meeting. This is why so many people often take a “wait and see” approach when it comes to their toddlers language development (or lack thereof). Many children who are late to talk will catch up on their own. But if you can help them catch up even faster, why not!

As I have hoped to point out, learning language and all of its intricacies is a building block for future success later on!

This is a great site with awesome information for anyone trying to raise a toddler and make sure they are engaging their brain. I myself am not a parent but once I become one I will definitely come back to this site for help to make sure I do the best I can when raising my child. Awesome post with great information.

Thanks! I am happy to hear that you found the site helpful despite not having any children!

This is a great article! #10 is something I would never have thought about but you make a great point. My 4 year old has a difficult time pronouncing a few letters. One being a hard “C”. It comes out more like a “T” sound. He’s only had some evaluation at his preschool but nothing more involved. Would you recommend speech intervention for something like that?

Hi Heather.

Tip #10 seems to be the tip that surprises most parents. But really it is not that surprising. The majority of toys nowadays come with batteries. And it seems counterintuitive to remove the batteries when they are what makes a toy work a certain way. However, so much more learning and person to person interaction can occur when they toy isn’t doing all of the “talking”.

Your son is doing something we in the speech world call “fronting”. It usually starts clearing up around the age of 4. Make sure that you are always repeating back the word with the correct pronunciation. But don’t ask him to repeat it. If he ends up getting speech therapy, the therapist will probably ask you to do some home practice with him. At this time it is ok to make corrections and expect that he tries to repeat you. But don’t do this if you are not working with a speech pathologist.

There is no harm in having a speech and language assessment done for your son. The speech pathologist may recommend a home program if his mispronunciations are not that bad.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for the info! I have a nephew that has been having speech problems since he was little. He is now 7 years old and is still having the same issues with his speech.

I was unaware of how to help him with speaking and I have used some of your tips that you have provided but not all. I am going to have to make better eye contact and slow down. I tend to move to fast with him.

Sorry to hear about your nephew! But it sounds like you are quite involved and trying to really help him. As I said, these tips are for toddlers, but they can be used for any age group. I am happy that you are going to try some of these tips out with your nephew.

if you have any questions feel free to ask me! Hopefully I can help you out.

Some great advice in this article, thank you!! You actually surprised me with tips number 6 and 10… but your reasoning behind them is actually quite logical! I always try tip 13 with my neice and end up doing all kinds of crazy things which actually end up being quite funny!! 😛 Thanks again for sharing!

Yes, some of the tips may be surprising to some parents, but I hope my explanations behind them will help. If it weren’t for my background in Speech-Language Pathology, I would not know all of this information.

It is great that you are following the “let your child lead” tip with your niece. You will both get some much more out of the interaction this way!

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• Entertainment

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Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz’s son Gus Walz burst into tears during his father’s emotional speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make, and even if we wouldn’t make those same choices for ourselves, we’ve got a golden rule: mine your own damn business,” Walz said during his speech:

That includes IVF and fertility treatments, and this is personal for Gwen and I. If you’ve never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you you know somebody who has, and I can remember praying each night for a phone call, the pit in your stomach when the phone would ring, and the absolute agony when we heard treatments hadn’t worked. It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments, and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope.

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18-year-old was shot during gun transaction in Ohio Township store parking lot, police say

An 18-year-old man was selling a handgun in the parking lot of a Giant Eagle in Ohio Township earlier this month when he was shot, police say in court records charging two men with homicide, robbery and conspiracy.

Bystanders tried to help Jordan Nathan Ross Geiger after he crashed his car in the area of Gass and Ben Avon Heights roads not far from the grocery store on Aug. 2.

It was after he died at Allegheny General Hospital that doctors discovered a gunshot wound under Geiger’s right armpit, police say in the court filing. His death was ruled a homicide from the single gunshot.

Allegheny County Police charged Emmanuel Caden Houghton, 19, of Carnegie and Tyler Matthew Stewart, 22, of McKeesport on Friday. From their voluntary discussions with police, it is not clear who fired the shot that killed Geiger. Neither admitted to firing the shot, and each said they heard the gunshot fired as the sale went sideways.

According to the criminal complaint, Houghton and Stewart were each driving vehicles reported stolen that day when they went to the Giant Eagle off of Interstate 279 in Ohio Township to meet Geiger.

Stewart arrived in a Honda Accord stolen from Green Tree, while Houghton was driving a Chevy Traverse taken from Canonsburg. Stewart got into the back seat of the Traverse for the transaction.

With information from Geiger’s cellphone, police found Houghton used the name “Mr. Grim Reaper” on Snapchat, through which he and Geiger arranged to meet at the Giant Eagle. When Houghton asked what kind of gun he was buying, Geiger described it as a “ghost Glock,” for which Houghton said he was bringing $550.

In his voluntary interview with police, Houghton said he arranged to trade a gun with “J Bone,” which police said is Geiger’s Snapchat handle and nickname. He described the gun Geiger brought as a tan Glock 17.

When Geiger threw the gun into the vehicle, Houghton told police he pointed his own gun at Geiger and told him to chill, the complaint says.

Houghton said Stewart yelled from the back seat to “get the (expletive) off of him,” after which Houghton said he heard a pop, which he descried as one gunshot, coming from between the door and headrest.

Police said Houghton said, “I heard that (expletive) moan, and I said get up, he (Geiger) laughed, got in his car, and pulled off.”

In his interview with police, Stewart said he and Houghton were both armed with handguns, the complaint states.

Stewart said Geiger handed the gun to Houghton, after which Houghton told Geiger, “You’re burnt.” Houghton and Geiger got into an altercation over the gun that Stewart described as “wrestling,” the complaint says.

The wrestling forced Geiger to lean into the vehicle with Houghton. From the back, Stewart said he shouted at Geiger to let Houghton go, and for Houghton to drive off. Stewart said he heard one pop, identified as a gunshot, and Houghton pulled out of the parking lot.

A friend of Geiger, who was with him the day of the homicide, said Geiger had left a relative’s house in Ross to sell the gun to Houghton at the Giant Eagle. A short time later, the friend said Geiger called and said, “I’m dying. I’m in the woods. Stained me. Got shot in my arm,” the complaint states. “Stained” or “stain” is slang for being robbed.

The Honda Accord police said Stewart drove to the meeting was found abandoned with a flat tire on the ramp to I-279 South.

The Chevy Traverse was found Aug. 3 parked at South Hills Village Mall. The driver, later identified as Houghton, was able to evade capture. The vehicle was found later that day engulfed in flames in an alley in Pittsburgh’s Elliot neighborhood.

Houghton told police he had sold it, the complaint states.

As investigators were looking into Houghton and Stewart, they learned other agencies were also investigating them.

On Aug. 14, Houghton was pursued by Monongahela police, during which he is alleged to have fired multiple shots from inside a stolen vehicle at a police vehicle, then barricaded himself in a residence before being arrested.

Houghton said a tan Glock recovered during the police standoff was the one Geiger had brought to Giant Eagle, the complaint states.

On that same day, Allegheny County Sheriff deputies arrested Stewart after a pursuit in which Stewart was allegedly driving a Jeep Cherokee stolen from Carnegie. A 9 mm handgun, short barrel rifle, gun holster, body armor, mask and six sets of car keys were found inside the Jeep, the complaint states.

Houghton and Stewart are being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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