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Speech Delay vs. Bilingual Difference -- How to Tell

By Palabra Garden

How to distinguish true speech-language delay from normal bilingual development. Red flags that warrant evaluation, and why bilingual assessment matters.

Your 20-month-old son speaks about 30 words combined — some in Spanish, some in English. Your pediatrician says he might be behind. A family member insists bilingualism is causing the delay. You’re torn between wanting to “help” him and the gnawing sense that something doesn’t add up. Are you looking at a genuine speech delay, or is this just how bilingual development looks?

What this post covers

  • The Bilingual Vocabulary Myth
  • What Normal Bilingual Development Looks Like by Age
  • Red Flags That Warrant Evaluation — Regardless of Bilingualism
  • Why Bilingual Assessment Matters
  • What Happens in Bilingual Therapy
  • Building Your Assessment Team
  • Key Takeaway: Bilingual Difference Is Not Delay
  • About the Author

This post is being migrated from the previous site. The full version originally appeared on palabragarden.com.

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