Realizing that your child is not on track with developmental norms for speech can be alarming. It’s easy for parents to jump to conclusions about what their child is going through.

For example, many parents mistake delayed speech for autism because they aren’t aware of other conditions that cause language difficulties. Remember that only a medical professional can offer your child a diagnosis. In the meantime, it can be helpful to learn the difference between a speech delay and autism.

What Is a Speech Delay?

According to child development experts, children should reach certain speech milestones by certain ages. When a child fails to reach one or more of these developmental goals, you may have a reason to suspect a speech delay. Some of these milestones include:

• Babbling by 4–6 months

• Gesturing and saying words by 18 months

• Obeying simple directions and combining words by 2 years

• Speaking in simple sentences and using pronouns by 4 years

There are many causes for speech delays. Your child could have a brain injury, hearing difficulties, or a learning disability. None of these symptoms automatically mean your child has autism.

What Is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder includes a wide range of traits that can manifest differently for each person. Regardless of severity, autism tends to affect a person’s ability to socialize, communicate, and learn and may cause them to behave differently from their peers. Some traits that are common among individuals with autism include:

• Avoiding eye contact

• Preferring to be alone

• Not responding to their name or gestures

• Repeating words (echolalia) or body movements

• Struggling to adapt to even slight routine changes

How To Tell the Difference

The difference between a speech delay and autism is usually more apparent to medical professionals than it is to parents. For example, autism can manifest through delayed speech, but speech delays are not necessarily an indicator of autism. Children with speech delays tend to struggle with making certain sounds, expressing themselves with the right words, and retaining spoken information. Signs of autism can also include these things, but they tend to come with other recognizable traits, like the repetition of whole words.

Finding a Virtual Speech Therapist

Regardless of why your child has a speech delay, speech therapists can help them improve their abilities. Ask your child’s doctor about speech therapy, and consider searching for an online provider like Linguabilities. We offer kids speech therapy that your child can do from home, where there are fewer distractions. Contact us today to learn how speech therapy can benefit your child.