Language Delay Therapy in Johannesburg
Language delays are one of the most common reasons parents seek speech therapy. At SpeakClearly, we help children who are slow to develop language skills catch up and thrive.
Understanding Language Delay
A language delay occurs when a child’s language development is significantly behind what is expected for their age. This can affect receptive language (understanding), expressive language (using words and sentences), or both.
Signs of Language Delay by Age
- 12 months: Not using gestures like pointing or waving
- 18 months: Fewer than 10 words
- 24 months: Fewer than 50 words or no two-word combinations
- 3 years: Not using simple sentences or difficult to understand
- 4-5 years: Difficulty telling stories, following instructions, or answering questions
Our Therapy Approach
We use play-based, naturalistic therapy techniques that are engaging for children and effective for building language skills. Therapy targets vocabulary, sentence structure, understanding, storytelling, and social communication. We also coach parents on strategies to support language growth at home.
Bilingual Children
Growing up with more than one language does not cause language delay. However, it is important to assess bilingual children appropriately. Our therapists have experience working with multilingual families in Johannesburg and can provide culturally sensitive assessment and therapy.