Free 9-page parent checklist

Is My Child’s Speech On Track?

Milestones from 6 months to age 12, a checklist by age, and what your answers mean — written by the speech and language team at eMbrace, Delhi NCR.

Instant PDF download Includes a fillable observation log Written by the eMbrace clinical team

What’s inside the checklist

Nine pages, built to be read once and then kept for reference as your child grows.

Milestones, 6 months to 5 years

A table of typical speech and language skills at every stage, sourced from ASHA and CDC guidance, so you know what to expect and when.

Checklist by age

Separate checklists for babies and toddlers (0–2), toddlers and preschoolers (2–4), and older children (4–12), plus a voice and hearing check at any age.

Why a hearing check comes first

A dedicated callout on hearing, because an untreated hearing issue can look exactly like a speech or language delay.

What your ticks might mean

Three-tier guidance for 0 ticks, 1–2 ticks, and 3 or more (or any skill loss), plus common patterns like late talker, stuttering and social communication.

Six things to do at home

Talking about everyday things, reading daily, waiting and listening, and modelling instead of correcting — plus the truth about bilingual homes.

A fillable observation log

Track what you notice day to day, and four questions worth bringing to a speech and language assessment.

Before you read it

This checklist flags patterns. It doesn’t diagnose.

Every child develops at their own pace, and one missed milestone rarely means much on its own. If several items in an age band feel true, or you notice a skill going backward, that is the signal worth a professional look — not the checklist itself.

Questions parents ask us

What’s the actual difference between speech, language and communication?

Speech is how sounds are produced, language is understanding and using words and sentences, and communication includes gestures, eye contact and back-and-forth interaction. A delay can show up in just one of these, or in several together.

My child is growing up bilingual — could that be causing the delay?

No. Growing up with more than one language does not cause a speech or language delay. If a genuine delay is present, it shows up across all the languages a child is learning, not only one of them.

What if I only tick one or two items on the checklist?

The guide treats this as a watch-and-recheck range rather than an emergency — worth noting and rechecking in a few weeks, alongside age-appropriate home strategies, rather than an immediate cause for alarm.

Should we get a hearing check too?

Yes. Hearing is checked first in any proper speech and language assessment, because an untreated hearing issue can look exactly like a delay. The guide includes a dedicated callout on this for any age.

What does a real speech and language assessment actually involve?

A case history discussion, play-based or structured observation, standardised tools appropriate to age, and a feedback session that explains the findings and next steps in plain, practical language.

Rather just talk to someone?

A free 15-minute call with our intake team is often enough to know whether an assessment, a few therapy sessions, or simply some home strategies is the right next step. No obligation, no waiting list to join, and a clinician — not a call-centre — on the other end.