Are boys more likely to be late talkers than girls?
Written by Talia Leszcz, Speech Language Pathologist
There is a common perception that boys develop later than girls – so you may be thinking - is my child a late talker or is this typical for a boy? According to Zubrick et al. (2007), boys often produce their first words and sentences later than girls – but these differences are only in terms of a few weeks or months.
A study conducted by Stanford University that gathered data from over 70,000 children from around the world shows boys have a slightly smaller vocabulary size compared to girls at the same age. For example, at 12 months, the average number of words and gestures for girls is 7 but for boys, the number drops to 4. Similarly, at 18 months of age, the average number of words and gestures for girls is 68 and for boys it’s 40.
Boys also tend to produce word combinations around 3 months later than girls. The greatest differences between sexes are most apparent at points when children tend to master new language skills and these differences tend to decrease with age. While these differences might seem significant the differences are not as dramatic as many believe.
Boys often produce their first words and sentences later than girls – but these differences are only in terms of a few weeks or months.
According to Adani and Cepanec (2019) language disorders are only slightly more prevalent in males than in females. Fisher (2017) confirmed that there is no real difference between males and females in terms of ongoing risk of speech and language delays. And we know from research by Van Hulle et al. (2004) that environmental factors have a greater impact on language development than genetic factors. Rather than sex – other factors a such as a delay in language understanding or a family history of a language or learning or disorders are better predictors of your child’s risk level for a language delay.
While male children tend to reach their early language milestones later than female children, being a boy is not the reason your child is delayed. Boys may lag slightly behind girls but they should still be meeting their milestones within the expected range. Curious about your little one’s milestones? Check out our post about how to know if your little one’s language is on track. If you have any concerns, it is always recommended that you act early and seek out support from a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). Babbly’s team of accredited speech and language experts can provide your family with a quick virtual assessment and work with you to develop a speech therapy program to meet your goals faster.
Sources
Fisher, E.L. A systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of expressive-language outcomes among late talkers, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 60 (10), 2017, 2935-2948
Adani, S., & Cepanec, M. Sex differences in early communication development: behavioral and neurobiological indicators of more vulnerable communication system development in boys. Croatia Medical Journal, 60(2), 2019, 141-149
Van Hulle, C., Goldsmith, H. & Lemery, S. Genetic, Environmental, and Gender Effects on Individual Differences in Toddler Expressive Language. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 47 (4), 2004, 904-912
Zubrick, S.R., Taylor, C.L., Rice, M.L. & Slegers, D.W. Late Language Emergence at 24 Months: An Epidemiological Study of Prevalence, Predictors and Covariates. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 2007, 50 (6) 1562-1592.
Stanford University Wordbank database