Late Talkers: what parents need to know
If your toddler isn’t talking as much as other children their age, it’s hard not to worry.
You might hear phrases like:
“They’ll catch up”
“Just wait and see”
“You should get onto this now”
“Have you tried this program?”
It can feel confusing, contradictory, and honestly… stressful.
So let’s slow this right down and talk about what late talking actually means, what the research really says, and how to think about support without turning normal development into a problem.
First things first: what is a “late talker”?
Late talkers are usually toddlers between 18 and 35 months who are developing spoken language more slowly than most children their age — without an obvious medical, sensory, or neurological reason.
There isn’t one neat definition, but a commonly used reference point is:
fewer than 50 words, and
no two-word combinations around 24 months
Here’s an important reframe though:
Late talking isn’t a diagnosis.
It’s a description of where a child sits on a very wide spectrum of early language development.
Think of it less like a red flag… and more like a snapshot in time.
What increases the likelihood of late talking?
Some factors are more commonly seen in late talkers, including:
a family history of late talking
being born prematurely
being male
having siblings
What doesn’t reliably predict late talking?
❌ parenting style
❌ parental education
❌ how much you talk to your child
❌ how “hard” you’re trying
This matters, because many parents quietly blame themselves.
The research doesn’t support that.
Do late talkers “catch up”?
You’ll often hear statistics like:
“70–80% of late talkers catch up.”
Here’s the honest truth: Those numbers are shakier than they sound.
Many early studies:
followed very small groups of children
focused on narrow populations
used different definitions and measures
What we can say with confidence is:
many late talkers go on to score within the average range later on
but as a group, they may still look a little different compared to peers
and early word counts alone are poor predictors of long-term outcomes
So “Will my child catch up?” isn’t actually the most helpful question.
A better one is:
“How is my child communicating right now, and how is that working for them and our family?”
Why late talking can still matter
If early language doesn’t predict the future very well, why do we care at all?
A few important reasons:
1. Communication affects daily life
When children can’t express themselves easily, we often see:
frustration
tantrums
guesswork exhaustion for parents
Supporting communication can ease stress now, regardless of what happens later.
2. Late talking can be an early clue — not a conclusion
For some children, slower language is simply their developmental pace.
For others, it can be an early sign of a broader difference (such as autism or developmental language disorder).
At this age, it’s rarely clear which path a child will take — and that’s okay.
3. Language is more than words
Gestures, play, understanding language, attention, imitation and interaction all matter.
A child with few words but rich interaction looks very different from a child who is struggling across multiple areas.
So… should all late talkers get therapy?
This is where opinions differ — and where nuance really matters.
Providing therapy to every late talker:
👎 can pathologise normal development
👎 can increase parental anxiety
👎 isn’t supported by strong evidence as a preventative “fix”
But doing nothing at all isn’t helpful either.
Instead, many researchers and clinicians now support a “support and see” approach.
A calmer way to think about support…
Rather than “wait and see” or “therapy for everyone”, we can ask better questions:
🤝 What does the family want and need right now?
Parents’ concerns matter.
So does their stress level, confidence, and capacity.
❓ Is communication impacting daily life?
Is the child frustrated?
Are routines hard?
Is everyone guessing all the time?
🔍 Are there other signs worth watching?
Things like:
limited gestures
difficulty understanding language
very limited play or imitation
family history of language difficulties
No single factor tells the whole story — it’s the pattern that matters.
What support can look like (without overdoing it)
Support doesn’t always mean weekly therapy.
It can include:
helping parents understand what’s developmentally realistic
showing how to support communication through play and routines
adjusting expectations to reduce pressure and frustration
checking in over time and scaling support if needed
The goal isn’t to rush children.
It’s to support connection, participation, and confidence — for both child and parent.
The big takeaway
Late talking is common.
It’s often temporary.
And it’s rarely something you caused.
Words alone don’t tell the whole story — and they’re not a reliable crystal ball.
What matters most is:
how your child communicates right now
how that’s working for your family
and whether you feel supported, informed, and confident
That’s where meaningful support begins.
What should I do now?
If you answer yes to concerns about daily communication, other developmental signs, or family history, we encourage you to seek personalised guidance from a Speech and Language Therapist.
We welcome you to take our free quiz to help you understand your child’s current communication type and what you can try next — looking beyond word counts to play, gestures, understanding and interaction.