Should You Stop Teaching Spanish If Your Child Has a Speech Delay?

It hits hard. You’ve been building a bilingual home for years. You have plans for your child to maintain Spanish. And now someone is essentially telling you that your effort, your family’s language, and your bilingual goals are getting in the way of your child’s development.

I want to tell you something clearly: that advice is outdated and not supported by research. Bilingualism does not cause speech delays, and dropping one language does not help a child catch up faster.

Let me walk you through what the research actually says, what you should know about bilingual speech therapy, and how to navigate these conversations with confidence.

The Core Myth: Bilingualism Causes Speech Delays

This myth is so persistent that it’s probably the most common concern I hear from bilingual parents. The logic seems sound: if my child is struggling with language, wouldn’t removing one language help them focus better?

No. And here’s why.

Speech and language delays are neurological or developmental issues that exist independently of how many languages a child is exposed to. A child with a speech delay will have a speech delay in English, in Spanish, or in both languages. The language isn’t the problem. The underlying delay is.

More importantly, removing one language doesn’t fix the delay. It just means your child is working with a smaller total vocabulary to work around the same neurological challenge. Research consistently shows that bilingual children with speech delays benefit from speech therapy in both languages — not from abandoning one language.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is very clear on this: “Bilingual children who have speech or language disorders should receive treatment in both languages.” It’s not a suggestion. It’s a professional standard.

Why Bilingual Children Might Appear to Have Delays (But Might Not)

Here’s where the confusion often starts. Bilingual children often have a lower vocabulary count in any single language compared to monolingual children their age. A monolingual English speaker might have 100 English words at eighteen months. A bilingual child might have 50 English words and 50 Spanish words.

If you’re only counting English vocabulary, it looks like a delay. If you count the total vocabulary in both languages, that bilingual child is actually right on track or ahead.

Many pediatricians and even some early intervention specialists aren’t trained in bilingual development. They test your child in English only, see lower English-specific numbers, and recommend dropping Spanish. But they’re not actually seeing the full picture of your child’s language capacity.

This is why it’s so important to ask your speech-language pathologist specifically about their experience with bilingual children. Some are trained to assess bilingual development accurately. Others are not. If your child is being evaluated, ask: “Will you be assessing vocabulary in both languages? Do you count conceptual vocabulary?” (Conceptual vocabulary means the total number of concepts your child knows in any language — the total linguistic knowledge, not the language-specific count.)

When Your Child Actually Does Have a Delay

Sometimes, bilingual children genuinely do have speech or language delays. Bilingualism isn’t the cause, but it’s real and it needs support.

If your child has been identified with a legitimate delay (usually through early intervention screening or by a speech-language pathologist), here’s what good bilingual speech therapy looks like:

The therapist works in both languages. Some therapists are bilingual themselves. Others work with a bilingual assistant or use bilingual resources. The point is that your child’s therapy targets the specific sounds or language structures that are delayed, and it does so in the languages that make up your child’s world.

You continue using both languages at home. In fact, therapy is most effective when both languages continue. Your child needs exposure to both languages to make progress in both. The therapy then addresses the specific area that’s struggling.

Goals are set in both languages. If your child is struggling with the “r” sound, the therapist isn’t just working on English “r.” They’re targeting the sound in both English and Spanish (or whatever your languages are), because your child needs to produce the sound accurately in the contexts where they use it.

Progress is measured in both languages. A good speech-language pathologist will want to see progress across both of your child’s languages. If progress is only happening in English and your child is falling further behind in Spanish (or vice versa), the therapy approach might need adjustment.

What to Do When Someone Suggests Dropping Spanish

When a doctor, therapist, or family member suggests that your child should stop speaking Spanish, here’s what you can say:

“My child’s language delay isn’t caused by bilingualism, and research shows that continuing both languages is the most effective approach. We’re going to continue using Spanish at home. If you’re recommending speech therapy, we’d like to work with a speech-language pathologist who has experience with bilingual children and who can provide therapy in both languages.”

You can also say: “The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends treatment in both languages for bilingual children with delays. That’s the approach we’re taking.”

You don’t need to be defensive or argumentative. You just need to be clear about your choice and your understanding of the research. Most professionals will respect that. If they don’t, it might be a sign that you need a different speech-language pathologist — one with bilingual training.

Finding a Bilingual-Trained Speech-Language Pathologist

This is crucial. If your child has a confirmed speech or language delay, you want a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who understands bilingual development.

Ask directly about their experience. When you’re interviewing or being assigned an SLP, ask: “What’s your experience working with bilingual children? Have you taken training in bilingual speech-language pathology? Can you assess and treat in both English and Spanish?”

Look for ASHA-certified bilingual SLPs. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has a directory of members. You can filter by specialty. Some SLPs specifically identify as having bilingual expertise.

Contact bilingual family organizations in your area. If you’re in a community with significant bilingual populations, there are usually organizations that can refer you to bilingual speech therapists. They have the networks and the recommendations.

Ask your child’s pediatrician for bilingual referrals specifically. Tell them you want an SLP with bilingual training. If they don’t have someone to refer, ask them to help you find one. It’s part of their job to support your family’s language choices.

The Research on Bilingualism and Development

If you want to feel even more confident in your choice to maintain bilingualism despite a speech delay, here’s what you should know:

Multiple large-scale studies show that bilingual children with language disorders benefit equally from therapy in both languages as monolingual children benefit from therapy in one language. In fact, research suggests that maintaining both languages may provide cognitive benefits that support language development across both systems.

A study published in the journal “Bilingualism: Language and Cognition” found that bilingual children with speech delays who received therapy in both languages had better overall outcomes than those who received therapy in only one language.

The bottom line: your child’s brain is wired for both languages. If your child has a delay, the solution isn’t to remove one language. The solution is to provide quality support in both.

What Happens After Diagnosis

If your child does have a diagnosed delay and you’re starting speech therapy, here’s what to expect:

You’ll likely do therapy once to twice per week. You’ll get home activities to practice with your child. Your SLP will give you strategies to use in both English and Spanish. You’ll see progress measured in months.

Many bilingual children with early-identified delays catch up completely and go on to develop typical language skills in both languages. Early intervention is incredibly effective. The earlier you start, the better the outcomes.

Keep speaking Spanish at home. Keep your bilingual routines. Your job isn’t to slow down Spanish to give your child time to focus on English. Your job is to provide consistent exposure to both languages and work with a qualified professional to address the delay.

Practical Support for Your Bilingual Home

If your child has been diagnosed with a speech delay and you want to continue building Spanish, check out our guide on teaching Spanish when you’re not fluent. This is especially helpful if you’re worried about whether your Spanish input is accurate or sufficient. You don’t have to be perfect for your child to benefit.

Also see our guide to bilingual development milestones. It includes what’s typical for bilingual children at different ages, so you can understand your own child’s development in context and not judge it by monolingual standards.

For more on how to handle advice from family members and professionals who don’t support your bilingual goals, read our article on getting family support for bilingualism. It has scripts and strategies for these exact conversations.

You’re Making the Right Choice

Maintaining bilingualism while your child gets speech therapy isn’t harder or less effective. It’s actually the most effective approach, backed by research and endorsed by professional organizations.

Yes, you’ll probably get pushback. Yes, someone will probably suggest you’re overcomplicating things. But you have the research, you have professional support from ASHA, and you have the knowledge that bilingualism is an asset, not a barrier, to your child’s development.

For a complete approach to bilingual parenting that addresses common challenges and builds language confidently, our free bilingual resources guide includes information on navigating developmental concerns, understanding bilingual milestones, and maintaining your bilingual goals even when others question them. Download it and share the research with people who try to talk you out of Spanish.

Your Complete Bilingual Support System

If you’re raising a bilingual child and you want a structured, research-backed approach that addresses challenges like speech concerns, our 12-Month Bilingual Curriculum ($250) includes modules on understanding bilingual development, recognizing typical versus atypical development, and maintaining bilingualism while supporting your child’s specific needs. It’s designed by someone who understands that bilingual parenting sometimes means navigating conflicting advice.

Get the curriculum and have confidence in your bilingual choices, even when others question them.

Your child’s speech delay is real, but it’s not caused by Spanish. Your commitment to bilingualism is sound. And your child deserves support in both languages. Stand firm on that.

Author Bio

Hi, I’m Lindsey Carleton, MA, CCC-SLP, a bilingual speech-language pathologist with more than 11 years of experience and a fellow toddler mom. I created Palabra Garden to support families who want intentional, play-based learning at home.

Through my work as an SLP, I’ve seen how powerful early language, social-emotional development, and hands-on learning can be for toddlers and preschool-aged children. Palabra Garden brings those same principles into your home with bilingual activities, preschool curriculum ideas, and simple strategies that support growing minds.

I believe children learn best through connection, curiosity, and everyday moments of discovery.