A speech delay means a child’s words are behind schedule while everything else is developing typically. Autism means social communication itself is developing differently. Global developmental delay means several areas are behind at once. They look similar at two years old and they need different responses.
Almost every parent we meet was told to wait. He is a boy. Her cousin talked at four. It is the two languages at home. Sometimes that advice turns out to be right — some late talkers do catch up on their own.
The problem is that nobody can tell in advance which children those are, and the cost of guessing wrong is asymmetric. If you act and it turns out nothing was wrong, you have lost a little time and money. If you wait and something was wrong, you have lost the years in which it was easiest to change. That asymmetry is the entire argument for getting it checked.
Communication milestones by age
Children vary, and missing one item is not a diagnosis. A pattern of missed items, or losing a skill that was already there, is worth acting on.
- By 12 monthsBabbles, responds to their name, waves or points, uses gestures to get your attention
- By 18 monthsUses several single words, points at things to show you, follows a simple instruction
- By 2 yearsPuts two words together (“more milk”), follows two-step instructions, copies what you do
- By 3 yearsSpeaks in short sentences, is understood by familiar adults most of the time, asks questions
- By 4 yearsTalks in full sentences, tells you a simple story, is understood by people outside the family
One thing that always warrants attention: a child who loses words, gestures or social skills they previously had, at any age. Regression is not something to watch and wait on — have it assessed.
Three profiles that look alike at two
The most useful question is not “how many words?” It is “does my child communicate without words?”
Isolated speech delay
- Understands far more than they can say
- Communicates without words — points, gestures, brings you things
- Seeks you out, shares enjoyment, makes eye contact
- Plays pretend and plays alongside other children
- The words are simply late
Possible autism
- Limited response to their own name
- Rarely points at things just to share interest
- Less eye contact, less back-and-forth
- Little or no pretend play by around two
- May have lost words or skills they previously had
Global developmental delay
- Behind in several areas at once, not just speech
- Motor milestones also came late — sitting, walking
- Learning new skills of any kind takes longer
- Social interest is usually present but immature
- Needs medical assessment alongside therapy
These are patterns, not tests. Plenty of children sit between the columns, and only a proper assessment sorts it out. A paediatric neurologist or clinical psychologist makes a formal diagnosis.
When your child needs a speech therapist, not us
We only provide ABA. That makes it important to say clearly where the boundary is, because a centre that finds every child needs exactly what it sells is not a centre to trust.
If your child understands well, communicates freely through gesture, plays socially, and the only problem is producing the words or the sounds — that is a speech and language therapist’s job, and we will tell you so at the assessment rather than after you have paid for a term. If motor skills, feeding or sensory processing are the main issue, that is an occupational therapist. If your child has lost skills, or there are seizures, a paediatric neurologist comes first.
Where ABA genuinely helps is when communication itself is not developing — when a child is not yet requesting, not yet using gesture to share, not yet engaging in the back-and-forth that language grows out of. We keep referral contacts for the other professions in Dhaka and will give them to you whether or not you become a client.
Speech and Developmental Delay: Frequently Asked Questions
The questions Dhaka parents ask us most about late talking and delayed milestones.
Not passively. Some late talkers do catch up, but there is no reliable way to tell in advance which ones will, and waiting costs the child the years when learning language comes most easily. Get a proper assessment. If the answer is that nothing is wrong, that is worth knowing too.
A child with an isolated speech delay still communicates — they point, gesture, bring you things, seek you out and share enjoyment. They just lack words. In autism, the social communication itself develops differently, so the gestures, the sharing and the back-and-forth are also affected.
No. Bilingual children may mix languages or seem slightly behind in one of them, and that is normal. Growing up with Bangla and English does not cause a delay, and it is not a reason to dismiss a genuine concern.
If the only difficulty is producing speech sounds, and social skills and behaviour are age-appropriate, a speech and language therapist is the right first step, not us. If communication itself is not developing — including gestures, requesting and social interaction — ABA is usually the better fit. Many children benefit from both.
No. We assess a child’s current skills and work on what is delayed regardless of the label. A formal diagnosis is often useful later for school admission and other services, and we can point you toward paediatric neurologists and clinical psychologists in Dhaka.
No. Earlier is easier, but children continue to make meaningful progress well beyond the early years. The targets shift toward school and social demands, and progress may take longer, but it is not too late.
