Is it too early to take my 4yr old to speech therapy?

Question

My son has trouble putting his words in the right order. He's only 4 but kids his age are talking clearly.

Answer 1

No way is he too young to start speech therapy - our private preschool offers itinerant services through the public school - all free paid for by your tax dollars. You can choose the preschool you want and still take him to the public school to see the speech pathologist.  Do you have childhood screenings in your area? That's the place to start - take him through that and they will evaluate and give you the best advice for your child. Good luck and don't beat yourself up for making the decision you thought was right at the time.

Answer 2

No it is not too early.   Our school district has preschool screenings where problems  areas are identified early.  Contact your local school district or your pediatrician for information.  They will help you.  It may be just developmental.   I wish you luck!

Answer 3

No, absolutely not. If you feel that there is something not right about your child's development, then get it checked out.

I have two kids on the Autism Spectrum and have learned that it is NEVER TOO EARLY to get your concerns checked out.

Answer 4

It would be fine for a 4 year old to have speech therapy.My son was 4 when he started.The sooner you can get help and understand why.Also it is good for your child to be able to speak and understand how to pronounce and what words mean.Make sure you work with him also at home.It really helped my kid for he had hard time with certain letters such as S.He speaks clear now.You can get a speech therapist at your school.

Answer 5

No it is not too early.  Ask your pediatrician for a referral for a speech assessment.  

My child was assesed at 18 months...received in home therapy until age three then speech therapy at a public school once a week.  He turned four in December and is being exited from therapy next week.  He speaks perfectly!

Answer 6

No. You should definietly get your son checked out. At this age, they should be forming plenty of sentences. And if he's having problems, you should take him to a professional and see if they could fix it.

Answer 7

No.  Absolutely not!  It is quite appropriate to start speech therapy as early 3 years.  You did not DO anything wrong.  All children progress on their own time schedule.  A child who is not speaking properly at 4 years old needs some help.  Go get it for them.  Most school districts have preschool screening.  Find your school district and start getting your help help now.

Answer 8

My twins are currently in speech therapy and they are two-years-old. I contacted my local Child Development Services Agency (CDSA) and they gave my twins a hearing test and developmental screening and found that they had hearing loss contributing to their speech delay. They were referred to ENT for "tubes" which they recieved last month. They began therapy at the beginning of this month. The speech therapist evaluated them to see where they are at and then she started their therapy. They have been three times thus far and I have noticed improvements (along with the hearing issue being resolved). Look up what services are available in your area. Since he is four you should be able to receive services through you local school district. Your pediatrician should be able to help get pointed in the right direction. Good luck!!!