I have a 5 year old boy in my class and his speech is very unclear and often "baby like". I have spoke to his mother about it but she isn't concerned as she can understand him. Most other children in the class have developed clear speech and they are the same age, should I be concerned? should he be referred to a speech therapist?

Hi Martha,

Yes, I think you should refer him to a speech and language therapist/pathologist. It may also be worth getting his hearing checked out, as this can often be a reason for delayed speech. It may not be a major delay, but it is good to get him checked out. The mother also may take it more seriously following a professional diagnosis. In the mean time model good speech to him and repeat back the correct articulation to him when he makes an error (just paraphrase, rather than highlight his difficulty e.g:

Boy: "thats a tar"
Teacher: "that's right, it's a car"

This way he will be hearing a correct version each time.

I hope that helps. Let me know how things go and if you have anymore questions.

Regards Johan