When we think about speech-language therapy, we often picture young children learning to pronounce their sounds correctly, build vocabulary, or put sentences together for the first time. But what about the young adults who made it through school undiagnosed, unassisted, and now in their 20s who are quietly struggling to hold jobs, navigate relationships, or manage daily tasks? Here’s the truth: it’s never too late to get help.
Why Young Adults in Their 20s Still Need (and Deserve) Support
Many individuals with subtle language and pragmatic difficulties go undiagnosed in childhood, especially if they had average or above-average academic skills, masked their challenges, or were misidentified as “lazy,” “anxious,” or “just quirky.” These are often the students who:
- Struggled to follow fast-paced conversations, especially in group settings, but stayed quiet to avoid standing out
- Misread social cues or took things literally, leading to misunderstandings or social isolation
- Avoided participating in class discussions out of fear of saying the wrong thing or not knowing how to jump in
- Frequently lost track of assignments or due dates, despite being bright and capable
- Seemed overwhelmed by multi-step tasks, but couldn’t explain why
- Relied on routines or “rules” for social interactions, which often broke down in unpredictable situations
- Struggled with group projects, not because of lack of effort, but due to difficulty navigating unspoken expectations
- Internalized failure, thinking “something must be wrong with me,” rather than recognizing unaddressed support needs
- Felt different but couldn’t articulate why, often leading to anxiety, self-doubt, or masking behaviors
As they grow into adulthood, these same challenges didn’t disappear — they compounded. They may manifest as trouble keeping jobs, strained or failed relationships, or mental health difficulties. But support doesn’t end at 18. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely equipped to help.
How SLPs Can Support Young Adults Like Avery
Take Victor age 24. He’s navigating difficulties with emotional regulation, communication shutdowns, avoidance behaviors, and task completion — all of which stem from undiagnosed challenges in language, pragmatics, and executive functioning. Despite past negative experiences, he is now working to build self-awareness, communication clarity, and organizational skills.
His progress isn’t a fluke. It’s what happens when intervention is holistic, individualized, and strengths-based — exactly the kind of work SLPs do best.
Two key resources were developed as part of Victor’s’s support system:
Individualized Plan
Tailored therapy goals across domains like emotional regulation, communication, social navigation, and career development. Interventions include:
- Conversation scaffolds and relevant higher order social scripts
- “Must-do / should-do / could-do” checklists
- Interoceptive tools to link body signals to emotions
- Mock interviews and job search accountability
- Mindset and self-sabotage awareness strategies
- CBT-informed journaling and reframing exercises
Daily Support Checklist
A companion checklist helps Victor implement strategies in everyday life. It includes:
- Time-blocking and visual reminders
- Mood and medication tracking
- Social cue reflection prompts
- Organizational systems using color-coding and repetition
- Affirmations and coping tools for stress management
- “Cheat sheets” for boundary-setting and conversation starters
Both resources emphasize functional application—how communication, cognition, and emotional awareness show up in real-world tasks, not just in therapy sessions.
Pragmatic Language and Executive Function: Why They Matter
SLPs can provide transformative support in areas that are often overlooked:
- Pragmatic Communication: understanding hidden social rules, interpreting tone, navigating group conversations, and self-advocating in confusing or ambiguous situations
- Executive Functioning: using internal language to initiate tasks, plan and prioritize, stay focused, and manage time — all essential for navigating demands at school, work, and home.
Research continues to support the role of language in these domains. Language is the tool we use to problem-solve, make decisions, plan our day, and regulate emotions. Without strong internal language, navigating life becomes exponentially harder (Luria, 1961, Vygotsky, 1962, 1986; Shokrkon & Nicoladis, 2022)
Final Thoughts: It’s Never Too Late
Being in your 20s without a diagnosis or a support history doesn’t mean you missed your chance. It means you’re right on time to begin with the right kind of support.
Well trained in EBP, SLPs can help you or someone you love build the communication, thinking, and social tools needed to thrive — not just survive — in adulthood.
Progress is possible. Confidence can be built. New strategies can stick. And no one is ever too old to learn how to speak up for themselves, organize their life, and feel understood.
If you’re a parent, therapist, or a young adult reading this, consider reaching out to a qualified SLP. You don’t need a school IEP or a diagnosis to begin growing.
References:
- Fernyhough, C., & Fradley, E. (2005). Private speech on an executive task: relations with task difficulty and task performance. Cognitive Development, 20(1), 103–120.
- Luria, A. R. (1961). The development of the regulatory role of speech in the child. In J. Tizard (Ed.), The role of speech in the regulation of normal and abnormal behavior (pp. 50-96). Pergamon Press.
- Shokrkon, A., & Nicoladis, E. (2022). The directionality of the relationship between executive functions and language skills: A literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 848696.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and word. In L. S. Vygotsky, E. Hanfmann, & G. Vakar (Eds.), Thought and language (pp. 119–153). MIT Press.
- Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and language (A. Kozulin, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
- Winsler, A., & Naglieri, J. (2003). Overt and covert verbal problem solving strategies: Developmental trends in use, awareness, and relations with task performance in children aged 5 to 17. Child Development, 74(3), 659–678.