How can I practice with my child, and what does speech delay therapy look like?
Applies to age: 18–36 months
In short
At home, you can support speech by repeating words, giving short instructions and replying in sentences slightly longer than your child's. If your child's speech worries you, discuss it with a specialist; the well-child checkup at age 2 includes an assessment of speech development.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Repeating words helps a child aged 18–24 months remember them.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Repetition helps your child to remember words.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- At 18–24 months, short and simple instructions help a child understand what you are saying to them.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Keeping instructions short and simple will help your child understand.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- At 18–24 months, you can ask your child to point to their ear, nose or foot.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
ask your child to point to their ear, nose, foot, and so on
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- At 2–3 years, it is worth replying to your child in sentences a few words longer than their own.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Try to reply using sentences that are a few words longer.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- At 2–3 years, when you ask your child a question, give them plenty of time to answer.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If you ask a question, give them plenty of time to answer you.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Background noise makes it harder for a child aged 2–3 years to listen to what you are saying to them.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
background noise makes it harder for your child to listen to you
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Talking about what you are doing together while shopping, cooking and cleaning supports a child aged 2–3 years in learning to speak.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Chat about what you're doing as you do chores like shopping, cooking and cleaning together.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- In a family where more than one language is spoken, it is important to talk to your child in the language you feel comfortable with.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
The important thing is to talk to your child in whatever language feels comfortable to you.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
Worth discussing with a doctor:
- If you are worried about your child's speech or language development, it is worth seeing a doctor.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If you're worried about your child's speech or language development, talk to your GP or health visitor.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
See a doctor
- Polish care pathway: the Ministry of Health (MZ) regulation on guaranteed services in primary care (POZ) (consolidated text in the Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2023, item 1427, annex 1, part III, row 5) provides, as part of the well-child checkup at age 2, a test of the development of auditory responses and an assessment of speech development. This is the timing of the checkup and an indication of what is assessed then, not a range of ages for first words.
Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
2 lata profilaktyczne badanie lekarskie (bilans zdrowia) obejmuje
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [2]
Polish original
przeprowadzenie testu rozwoju reakcji słuchowych oraz ocenę rozwoju mowy
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [2]
- If your child is developing differently from their peers, it is worth discussing what worries you with a specialist and using the advice of a midwife, nurse or pediatrician.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Warto jednak skonsultować ze specjalistą to, co Cię zaniepokoiło i korzystać z rad położnej, pielęgniarki czy pediatry.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [3]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS.
- Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl)License: Akt normatywny, art. 4 pkt 1 ustawy o prawie autorskim (nie podlega ochronie). Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl).
- Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.