When should a child be referred for speech assessment?

Australian guidelines suggest referral if a child is not babbling by 12 months, has no words by 18 months, is not combining two words by 2 years, or if speech is largely unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners by 3 years. Any regression in language abilities warrants prompt assessment.

All diagnostic codes

Specific Learning DisorderF81

F80Developmental Disorders

Specific Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language (F80)

DSM-5-TR: Communication Disorders

ICD-10-AM and DSM-5-TR may classify conditions differently. Refer to APA and WHO for complete diagnostic criteria.

Key Facts

ICD-10 Range

F80-F89

Subcodes

6 subcodes

Australian Prevalence

Speech and language disorders affect approximately 5-8% of Australian preschool children. Early identification through child health checks is a priority in Australian paediatric services.

Global Prevalence

Approximately 5-10% of children worldwide are affected by speech and language disorders. Boys are more commonly affected than girls.

Duration Requirement

Present from early development, typically identified in preschool years

Overview

These are disorders in which the normal patterns of language acquisition are disturbed from the early stages of development. The conditions are not directly attributable to neurological or speech mechanism abnormalities, sensory impairments, intellectual disability, or environmental factors.

Diagnostic Criteria (ICD-10)

Core Features

Normal patterns of language acquisition disturbed from early stages of development
Not directly attributable to neurological or speech mechanism abnormalities
Not due to sensory impairments, intellectual disability, or environmental factors
Specific developmental delays in speech articulation, expressive language, or receptive language

Duration

Present from early development, typically identified in preschool years

Exclusion Criteria

Hearing impairment accounting for language delay
Intellectual disability as primary cause (use F70-F79)
Acquired aphasia (except Landau-Kleffner, F80.3)
Autism spectrum disorder as primary condition (use F84)

ICD-10-AM Subcodes

Code	Name	Description
F80.0	Specific speech articulation disorder	Use of speech sounds below the appropriate level for mental age, with normal language skills.
F80.1	Expressive language disorder	The child's ability to use expressive spoken language is markedly below the appropriate level for mental age, while comprehension is within normal limits.
F80.2	Receptive language disorder	Comprehension of language is below the appropriate level for mental age. Expressive language is typically also impaired.
F80.3	Acquired aphasia with epilepsy (Landau-Kleffner syndrome)	Loss of receptive and expressive language associated with EEG abnormalities.
F80.8	Other developmental disorders of speech and language	Other specified developmental speech and language conditions.
F80.9	Developmental disorder of speech and language, unspecified	Developmental speech/language disorder where the specific type is unspecified.

F80.0—Use of speech sounds below the appropriate level for mental age, with normal language skills.

F80.1—The child's ability to use expressive spoken language is markedly below the appropriate level for mental age, while comprehension is within normal limits.

F80.2—Comprehension of language is below the appropriate level for mental age. Expressive language is typically also impaired.

F80.3—Loss of receptive and expressive language associated with EEG abnormalities.

F80.8—Other specified developmental speech and language conditions.

F80.9—Developmental speech/language disorder where the specific type is unspecified.

Classification Boundaries

Includes

Developmental dysphasia or aphasia (expressive type)
Developmental dysphasia or aphasia (receptive type)
Developmental phonological disorder
Functional speech articulation disorder
Lalling

Excludes1 (coded elsewhere)

Aphasia NOS (R47.0)
Hearing loss (H90-H91)
Intellectual disability (F70-F79)
Selective mutism (F94.0)
Autism spectrum disorder (F84)

Excludes2 (may co-occur)

Dysphasia and aphasia NOS (R47.0)
Cleft palate speech (Q35-Q37)

Australian Clinical Context

Speech and language disorders are commonly identified through Australian child health checks (e.g., 4-year-old health check). Speech pathology services are available through NDIS, public health services, and private practice. Early intervention is a priority in Australian paediatric services.

Medicare (MBS) Pathways

Better Access to Mental Health Care

The primary Medicare pathway for mental health treatment in Australia. Requires a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) referral. Available for any clinically diagnosed mental disorder.

10 individual + 10 group sessions per calendar year

Provider Type	MBS Items	Session Type
Clinical Psychologist	80000–80025	Psychological therapy (higher rebate)
Registered Psychologist	80100–80123	Focused psychological strategies
Occupational Therapist	80125–80145	Focused psychological strategies
Social Worker	80150–80175	Focused psychological strategies
Psychiatrist	291, 296–299, 300–308	Psychiatric consultation

Clinical Psychologist

80000–80025Psychological therapy (higher rebate)

Registered Psychologist

80100–80123Focused psychological strategies

Occupational Therapist

80125–80145Focused psychological strategies

Social Worker

80150–80175Focused psychological strategies

Psychiatrist

291, 296–299, 300–308Psychiatric consultation

GP referral items: 2700, 2701, 2715, 2717

Eligibility: Any clinically diagnosed mental disorder as defined by WHO ICD-10 Chapter V. Requires a GP or psychiatrist referral.

Exclusions:

Intellectual disability (use Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder pathway or specialist referral)
Dementia and organic mental disorders (use specialist referral pathway)
Tobacco use disorder

Speech pathology services may also be accessed through NDIS, Helping Children with Autism packages, or CDM allied health items (10970).

Automate MBS item capture from your sessions

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Reference information sourced from MBS Online (mbsonline.gov.au). Item availability, rebates, and eligibility criteria may change. This is not billing advice — always verify current items before claiming. Last verified: April 2026.

Clinical Documentation Notes

DSM-5-TR categorises these under "Communication Disorders" (Language Disorder, Speech Sound Disorder, Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder, Social Communication Disorder). Assessment should be conducted by a qualified speech pathologist. Exclude hearing impairment as a contributing factor.

Related Diagnostic Codes

ICD-10-AM diagnostic codes commonly associated with the Specific Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language (F80).

F84

Developmental Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder

View reference

F94

Childhood & Adolescent Disorders

Reactive Attachment Disorder / Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder / Selective Mutism