SLPs can assess speech, language, cognitive-communication, and oral/feeding/swallowing skills.
Their involvement can assist to identify types of communication problems such as articulation; fluency; voice; receptive and expressive language disorders. SLPs can assist with treatment.
When in doubt, visit your paediatrician first. Typically, your child’s doctor will look for milestones at certain visits. For instance, at your child’s 18-month check the doctor will ask about how many words your child has acquired. Remember that the amount of words acquired by this age is simply used as a checklist. However, if you feel your child may not be developing language at a typical rate, it doesn’t hurt to check in with a Speech Pathologist.
There are a variety of things an SLP is qualified to assess and treat; including picky eaters.
Most insurance companies cover at least a portion of their services.
Don‘t wait, there is no harm in checking if everything is on track. Especially when early intervention has proved to be so beneficial to children.