Late Talkers: Why the Wait-and-See Approach Is Outdated

Abstract

From a speech-language pathology perspective, there is a gap in interprofessional education/practice (IPE/IPP) that leads to a wait-and-see approach with late talkers (LT). In line with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Strategic Pathway to Excellence, this article attempts to bridge the gap, reexamining the panoptic view that most LT "catch up" to their peers. The LT who persist with language disorder should not be overlooked. Late talking can impact socialization and school readiness, and can place some toddlers at risk for life-long disability. Each state's early intervention program has an established IPP infrastructure. Parent-implemented intervention addresses risks and maximizes protective factors.

Keywords: Early intervention; Language disorder; Late bloomers; Late talkers; Parent-implemented intervention; Specific language impairment; Toddlers; Wait-and-see.