Late Talkers
Late Talker Screener
A free late talker self-check for parents, built on the criteria speech and language therapists use. Not a diagnosis: if you are worried, get it checked.
This is a self-check, not an assessment. It cannot diagnose anything, and it does not replace an assessment by a speech and language therapist. If you are worried about your child, ask your health visitor or GP for a referral.
Choose their age first, then tick anything you recognise. The questions change with age, because what counts as expected changes with age.
A self-check, not a diagnosis. If you are worried, ask for a referral.How to use this tool
- Choose your child’s age, so the questions match the milestones that are actually due.
- Check what you see day to day: understanding and gestures count, not only words.
- Read the result as a prompt for a conversation, not a verdict.
- Try one low-pressure home routine, and take your notes to an appointment.
Why parents use it
Helps parents move from vague worry to concrete observations.
Weighted by what the research finds actually predicts a lasting difficulty.
Separates the few signs worth asking about on their own from the rest.
Connects concerns to practical next steps.
SpeechBarn tools are educational and support at-home practice. They do not diagnose, treat, or replace care from a speech and language therapist.
Frequently asked questions
What is a late talker?
The usual definition is a two-year-old with an expressive vocabulary under about fifty words and no two-word phrases, when nothing else is going on developmentally. It comes from the research literature on late language emergence and is the line most therapists work to.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It is a self-check to help you describe what you are seeing, and it cannot diagnose anything. Only a qualified speech and language therapist can assess your child, and nothing here replaces that. If you are worried, ask for a referral regardless of what this tool says: you do not need a score to justify the question.
What is this based on?
The criteria and weighting follow published research on late language emergence: understanding and vocabulary size are the strongest predictors of a lasting difficulty, while family history and gender predict less than people expect. The milestone questions follow the standard child health milestones: gestures by around a year, first words by 18 months, two words together by two, and conversation that other people can follow by three. The same tick counts for more at an older age, because what it means changes: a toddler who gets frustrated is a toddler, while a three-year-old who gives up trying to tell you something has the words and is not using them.
Can late talkers catch up?
Many do. Roughly half to seven in ten are within the typical range by school age. A screener cannot tell you which group your child is in, and waiting to find out costs time you could have spent supporting them.
Should I wait before asking for help?
If you are concerned, it is reasonable to ask for guidance rather than waiting months. Asking early costs nothing and getting on a waiting list sooner is rarely wasted.
Late Talker Activities: 12 Games to Play at Home
How to Help a Toddler Talk
Speech Milestones Checklist