To: hpotter@magic.org
From: bethha@SLP.org

Dear Henry,

My advice to you would be to have Joey evaluated by an SLP. In an evaluation like this, they will test her speech and language and most importantly, her hearing as well.

As an SLP, I would tell you that if your daughter isn't talking much and she's 4 years old, that it could be because of many things that are related to communication disorders (like a language problem, where she doesn't understand the words you are saying, or maybe a motor speech problem, that doesn't allow the parts of her mouth used for speech to move quickly). It is highly likely, too, that Joey may simply be a late bloomer and will eventually talk as much as her peers (Owens, 1996). Another cause could be a hearing loss, which can delay speech and language development and can alter the way a person sounds when they speak (Martin, 1999).

Best of luck,

Beth Harmon

Let me know what happens!