When to seek help.

If your child doesn't speak, says very few words, or doesn't seem interested in communicating or expressing his feelings, seek help. A child who pauses frequently, constantly struggles to get words out, or simply gives up and says "never mind" a lot is also letting you know something is wrong. A preschooler who drools when he mispronounces words may have a physical component to his speech difficulties and may need professional help. And a child who has a history of ear infections along with pronunciation problems may have some hearing loss.

In each of these cases, talk with his pediatrician, or, if he's in preschool, with his teacher. His preschool may refer you to an early speech and language intervention program (usually coordinated through the county or public school system) that will provide a free speech and language screening. Or his doctor can refer you to a private speech-language pathologist for an evaluation.