A 32‑month‑old child has about 70% intelligible speech and difficulty pronouncing t, d, k, and g sounds. Which action is correct?

A 32‑month‑old child has about 70% intelligible speech and difficulty pronouncing t, d, k, and g sounds. Which action is correct?

• A. Obtain a hearing evaluation.
• B. Reassure the parent that this is normal.
• C. Evaluate the child's cognitive abilities.
• D. Refer the child to a speech therapist.

Answer: (B)

Early speech development often includes still-maturing sound production, especially for later-developing stops like t, d, k, and g. At about 32 months, having roughly 70% intelligible speech is within the range of normal variation for many children, even though it’s not fully mastered yet. When a child can be understood well most of the time but still omits or substitutes a few sounds, the typical approach is to reassure caregivers and keep monitoring progress, while providing supportive language-stimulation tips and opportunities to practice the target sounds in fun, natural contexts. This situation doesn’t immediately require therapy or further testing unless progress slows, intelligibility drops further, or there are additional concerns such as signs of language delay, hearing issues, or other red flags. If any of those arise, a referral or evaluation would be appropriate.

Early speech development often includes still-maturing sound production, especially for later-developing stops like t, d, k, and g. At about 32 months, having roughly 70% intelligible speech is within the range of normal variation for many children, even though it’s not fully mastered yet. When a child can be understood well most of the time but still omits or substitutes a few sounds, the typical approach is to reassure caregivers and keep monitoring progress, while providing supportive language-stimulation tips and opportunities to practice the target sounds in fun, natural contexts. This situation doesn’t immediately require therapy or further testing unless progress slows, intelligibility drops further, or there are additional concerns such as signs of language delay, hearing issues, or other red flags. If any of those arise, a referral or evaluation would be appropriate.