Dear Speech Delay,
Your niece may not be delayed at all—it just may be that her sister’s speech and language skills are developing more quickly. Although children typically follow a consistent pattern of development, no two children’s speech and language skills develop in the exact same way, even if they’re twins. There is a wide range of what is considered normal for a 3 year old. But if your family becomes concerned that her skills are lagging behind what is expected for her age it is always wise to have her evaluated by a speech and language pathologist.
Rhonda Davis, M.A. CCC-SLP
,