Parent Resources
The California Speech-Language-Hearing Association has assembled these curated resources to help parents learn more about where a child is on the path to age-appropriate language skills and determine if intervention or support is needed.
- Autism Navigator provides web-based videos, courses and other resources for parents, professionals and researchers. Autism Navigator is connected with the First Words Project at Florida State University to provide online screening for social communication indicators of autism.
- ASHA’s Early Identification of Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders webpage provides information on typical speech-language development in children from birth to age 3.
- ASHA’s Identify the Signs campaign aims to educate the public about the warning signs of communication disorders. It includes videos on early signs of speech, language and hearing disorders, and access to professionals.
- Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! is a coordinated federal effort to encourage universal developmental and behavioral screening for children and to support their families and care providers. It provides resources in English and Spanish to help identify developmental delay and intervene early.
- Center for Parent Information and Resources offers an overview of early intervention services with information regarding early intervention eligibility, evaluation process, Individualized Family Service Plans, and other relevant topics.
- Developmental Passport is a tool to help families track developmental screening. Part of the Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!” initiative, the passport includes a link to the CDC’s developmental milestones site.
- Early Childhood Development Task Force for Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities serves children from birth through age 8 and their families. Its 200-plus volunteer professionals and family members are affiliated with over 110 organizations from 78 countries in nine regions around the globe. ECDtf newsletters contain resource listings, and the organization also is developing a searchable resource library.
- Family Resource Centers Network of California link helps parents find their local family resource center, where they can obtain parent-to-parent support services, training, referral services and other resources.
- First 5 California, also known as the California Children and Families Commission, is dedicated to improving the lives of children through age 5 and their families through a comprehensive system of education, health services, child care, and other crucial programs. Its site provides information about brain and language development, activities and other resources, including videos.
- First Signs provides resources to educate parents and professionals about autism and related disorders and to improve early identification of children at risk for autism.
- First Words Project at Florida State University includes a chart showing social communication milestones for ages 7 months to 24 months, as well as online screening for communication delay accessed through Autism Navigator.
- Hanen Centre in Toronto, Ontario, provides speech-language strategies for parents of children who communicate without words, children who have just started talking and children who talk in complete sentences.
- Help Me Grow California, a policy and advocacy group, provides a framework for linking children with developmental disabilities to appropriate local resources.
- Important Milestones: Your Child by Two Years is part of the comprehensive CDC milestone guides and specifically targets milestones for 2-year-olds.
- Learn the Signs. Act Early. is a comprehensive collection of tools from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on birth-to-5 developmental milestones and early intervention resources.
- Milestone Tracker is the CDC’s free app for Apple and Android devices that includes milestone summaries and checklists for ages 2 months to 5 years. Available in English and Spanish, it also provides activities, tips, and appointment and screening reminders. Free downloadable promotional materials are available.
- Mommyspeechtherapy.com provides downloadable worksheets for sounds in initial, final and medial word positions, as well as activities, stories and resources for sound development. All of its resources are shareable if properly credited.
- Pathways.org’s Communication Milestones are for parents of children from birth to age 3. Its materials include video examples, tips and techniques, and are supported by American Academy of Pediatrics findings.
- Speech and Language Development Milestones describes speech and language development milestones for children through age 3, as well as the difference between speech and language disorders, and what parents with concerns can do. This webpage from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders includes a yes/no checklist for parents to complete, and is also available in Spanish.
- Speech, Language & Hearing Milestones: 1 to 2 Years is a short video from ASHA, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, on early language and communication development through age 2.
- “Speech Language Pathology: Should I Be Concerned?” is a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital video for parents about normal speech-language development and when to seek help.
- Super Duper Publications provides materials for vocabulary development.
- “Typical Speech and Language Acquisition in Infants and Young Children,” a 1998 article republished on speech-language-therapy.com, provides a thorough overview of speech and language development and includes video links.
- UNICEF Early Childhood Development webpage includes videos, research, and other resources to raise awareness about the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and brain development. The effort is part of Early Moments Matter, a campaign launched in 2017 by UNICEF, an international organization that promotes the rights and well-being of every child.
- Zero to Three website provides resources for parents and professionals as well as advocacy tools to support early intervention for infants and toddlers.
- Zero to Three Language and Communication webpage provides resources specifically to promote language and communication development, including numerous videos that address how to support communication development, dual language learning and more.
- Zero to Three Resources and Services webpage provides parenting resources to answer many developmental questions about infants and toddlers through age 3.