WHEN SHOULD A CHILD BE REFERRED TO our THERAPISTs?

If you answer “no” to one or more of these questions, 

a speech-language pathologist can help assess your child's

needs and provide appropriate interventions.

Birth to 9 months: 

• Does the child babble or engage in vocal play? 

• Does the child respond to or look towards familiar voices? 

• Does the child imitate sounds or actions? 

• Does the child respond to simple requests (give me the ball)?  

• Does the child say any single words/ word approximations

9 to 12 months: 

• Does the child use single words?  

• Does the child use gestures (e.g., waving, pointing)? 

• Does the child seem to be listening to people talking? 

• Does the child vocalize to indicate wants or needs?

12 to 18 months:

• Has your child said their first words (e.g., “mama,” “dada,” familiar objects)?

• Does your child respond to simple instructions like “come here” or “give me”?

• Is your child using gestures, like pointing, waving, or shaking their head “no”?

• Does your child imitate sounds or words, such as animal noises or simple words?

• Has your child’s vocabulary grown to include 5-20 words?

• Does your child consistently use gestures to express their needs (e.g., pointing or pulling you)?

18 -24 months: 

• Does the child use 10-15 words (by age 2)? 

• Is the child combining words into 1-2 word phrases or questions?  • Does the child engage in simple pretend play (e.g., feeding a doll)? 

•Does the child follow 1-2 step directions?

30-36 months: 

• Does the child point to 6 or more body parts? 

• Does the child use “I” or “me” consistently? 

• Does the child ask ‘wh’ questions? Is the child intelligible 80% of the time?

3 to 4 years: 

• Does the child use 200-300 words? 

• Does the child use and understand descriptive concepts (big, small, hard, etc.)? 

• Does the child follow multi-step directions? 

• Does the child use 3-4 word sentences and questions? 

• Does the child say most sounds intelligibly, except “s, z, th, l, v, r”?

4 to 5 years: 

• Does the child use the same sentence structure as the family? 

• Does the child say all sounds intelligibly, except “TH, R, V” ? 

• Does the child know all common opposites? 

• Does the child participate in short conversations using appropriate turn taking skills?

5 to 6 years: 

• Does the child use adult-like grammar and sentence structure? • Can the child appropriately tell a story, recalling events in sequence? 

• Does the child know and say his/her birthday and address? 

• Does the child produce all speech sounds correctly?

If you answer “no” to one or more of these questions, an occupational therapist can help assess your child's needs and provide appropriate interventions. 

Birth to 6 Months:

• Does the child lift their head while lying on their tummy?

• Does the child roll from tummy to back?

• Does the child reach for and grasp objects?

• Does the child explore their hands and mouth?

• Does the child turn their head towards sounds?

6 to 12 Months:

• Does the child sit without support?

• Does the child pull to stand or cruise along furniture?

• Does the child transfer objects between their hands?

• Does the child explore objects by mouthing them?

• Does the child show interest in different textures?

1 to 2 Years:

• Does the child walk independently?

• Does the child stack 2–4 blocks?

• Does the child begin to scribble with crayons?

• Does the child drink from a cup with assistance?

• Does the child remove their socks and shoes?

2 to 3 Years:

• Does the child run with coordination?

• Does the child kick a ball forward?

• Does the child string large beads?

• Does the child use a spoon and fork?

• Does the child begin toilet training?

3 to 5 Years:

• Does the child catch a ball with both hands?

• Does the child cut simple shapes with scissors?

• Does the child draw basic shapes, such as circles or squares?

• Does the child dress and undress with minimal help?

• Does the child brush their teeth with supervision?

6 to 10 Years:

• Does the child ride a bicycle?

• Does the child write legibly with proper pencil grip?

• Does the child tie their shoelaces independently?

• Does the child coordinate movements during sports or play?

• Does the child adjust well to new sensory environments?

11 to 18 Years:

• Does the child refine fine motor skills for detailed tasks, such as handwriting or crafts?

• Does the child participate in complex sports or physical activities?

• Does the child independently manage personal hygiene?

• Does the child demonstrate organizational and time-management skills?