As speech-language pathologists we know that children who experience difficulties communicating properly should be evaluated and treated as early as possible. Language development is believed to be related to "sensitive periods" or "critical periods." The critical period for language development is a maturational stage in the lifespan of a child, during which the nervous system is susceptible to receiving stimuli from the environment to develop language properly.
The critical period hypothesis states that the first years of life constitute the period language develops straightforwardly and more effectively. After that (sometime between age five and puberty), language acquisition becomes more complex and less effective. It is known that language development involves and depends on individual differences, environmental stimuli, and other factors. However, literature reports some universal milestones in children describing how they develop language during the first years.
Parents, family members, caregivers, and pediatricians are responsible for checking and validating if these stages develop correctly in a child because our human nature can help us discern when a child is not communicating accurately. The sensitive period invites us to think about the need for a child to receive speech-language services as early as possible since the success of their language development might impact the life conditions of a child during their early years. In other words, successful language development will lead to other areas of development in the life of a human being, like emotional development, social development, and academic development. It will define how successful a person will be in their lifetime.
Therefore, parents, pediatricians, and speech-language pathologists should work together as a team and facilitate early access to speech-language services when needed.
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