I am worried about my child’s language development.

Two sides of language

Language has two sides, and they can grow at different speeds. Receptive language is what a child takes in: following what you say, understanding a question. Expressive language is what a child sends back out: words, signs, gestures, sentences. A child can be strong on one side and still building on the other, and knowing which is which changes what kind of support helps.

“Delay” is simply a word for a difference in pace. Children build language on genuinely different timelines, and a slower start is not a verdict about what your child will be able to do.

What parents often notice

Fewer words than other children the same age—or words that arrived and then quietly faded. Clear understanding, but little coming back out. Words that stay single long after other children have started stringing them together. Real frustration late in the day, when a child has more to say than ways to say it. Leaning on gestures instead: pointing, showing, leading you by the hand. Those gestures deserve their own sentence: they are real communication, and they tell us a great deal about how your child already makes meaning. No single item here is a verdict; children are uneven by nature.

When an evaluation can help

An evaluation is information, not a verdict. It can tell you your child is building language on a reasonable timeline of their own—and let you hear that from someone qualified—or it can show you where support would help and what it would look like. Either answer beats wondering.

1. Talk through what you are noticing. Your questions, observations, and priorities are part of the assessment.
2. Observe communication in context. Play and appropriate assessment tools help us see the pattern, not just one moment.
3. Leave with clear next steps. You receive useful information and a plan, including when waiting is reasonable.

Earlier support also tends to be easier support: in the younger years it happens through play, in short joyful stretches, alongside people your child already trusts.

What families can expect

Most families start with a free consultation, including real time to hear your concerns. An evaluation pairs standardized tools with play-based, caregiver-informed assessment. You receive a written report of your child’s strengths, individualized goals, and clear next steps. Sessions are then built around those goals, and we adjust them together as your child grows.