Does My Child Have a Speech Delay?

Introduction

An infant’s cooing is the beginning of speech and language development. Months later, what at first seems to be meaningless babble develops into the first coherent word.

When a child hasn’t reached standard speaking milestones, it’s called a speech delay. Kids develop according to their own schedule. Being a bit slow to start a conversation doesn’t always indicate a major issue.

What’s typically normal for a 3-year-old child

Ordinarily, a 3-year-old can:

• Use around 1,000 words
• Address oneself and other people by name.
• In three- and four-word phrases, combine nouns, adjectives, and verbs to create plurals.
• Pose inquiries
• Sing a song, recite a nursery rhyme, or narrate a tale.
• Toddlers are often best understood by those who spend the most time with them. The majority of 3-year-olds—between 50 and 90 percent—can communicate in a way that is understandable to strangers.

Signs of a speech delay in a child

The first indication of a speech delay may be present at two months of age if the infant isn’t cooing or making other noises. Most babies can use simple words like “mama” or “dada” by the time they are 18 months old. In older children, these are indicators of a speech delay:

Age 2: fails to utilize a minimum of 25 words

Age 2 and a half: lacks original two-word sentences and noun-verb pairings

Age 3: difficult to comprehend even if you live with them, don’t use at least 200 words, and don’t ask for items by name.

Any age: unable to pronounce words they have already learnt

What can cause a speech delay in a child?

A speaking delay might indicate that they are on a somewhat different schedule and will eventually catch up. However, delays in speech or language might also reveal something about a child’s general intellectual and physical development. Here are a few illustrations.

· Problems with the mouth

A delay in speaking may be a sign of a palate, tongue, or oral problem. A disorder known as ankyloglossia, or “tongue tie,” causes the tongue to attach to the floor of the mouth. This can make it challenging to produce specific sounds, especially:

• D
• L
• R
• S
• T
• Z

Infants with tongue-tie may also find it difficult to nurse.

· Speech and language disorders

A three-year-old who lacks word fluency but is able to understand and communicate nonverbally may be delayed in speaking. Someone may have a language delay if they can speak a few words but not coherent phrases.

Certain speech and language impairments may be signs of a learning disability since they influence brain function. Premature birth is a factor in delayed speech, language, and other developmental deficits.

A physical condition known as childhood apraxia of speech causes difficulty forming sounds in the proper order to create words. Language comprehension or nonverbal communication is unaffected.

· Hearing loss

A youngster who has poor hearing or who perceives speech distortion is probably going to have trouble putting words together.

Your child may not notice a person or thing when you name them, but they may acknowledge it when you use gestures, which is one indicator of hearing loss.

Hearing loss symptoms, however, might be quite modest. There are situations where a speech or language delay is the sole observable symptom.

· Lack of stimulation

To participate in the discourse, we must learn to talk. If no one interacts with you, it’s difficult to notice speech patterns.

The development of speech and language is greatly influenced by the environment. Unfair treatment, disregard, or insufficient spoken interaction might prevent a youngster from achieving developmental benchmarks.

· Autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum condition is frequently associated with difficulties with speech and language. Additional indicators might be:

• Echolalia, the repetition of phrases, as opposed to phrase creation
• Recurring actions
• Compromised communication, both vocal and nonverbal
• Weakened capacity for social engagement
• Regression in speech and language
• Neurological issues

Certain neurological conditions can impair the speech-related muscles. Among them are:

• Severe brain injury, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy
• Speech can be impacted by hearing loss or other developmental impairments in individuals with cerebral palsy.

· Intellectual disabilities

An intellectual handicap may cause a delay in speech. If your youngster isn’t speaking, it could not be a word formation problem as much as a cognitive one.

Diagnosing a speech delay

It might be difficult to discern between a delay and a speech or language issue in toddlers because of their uneven developmental paths.

Your toddler’s speech and language abilities, along with other developmental milestones and habits, will be the subject of inquiries from your pediatrician.

They will check the tongue, palate, and mouth of your youngster. Additionally, they might want to have your toddler’s hearing examined. Your child may have hearing loss, which causes speech to seem jumbled even if they appear sensitive to sound.

Your doctor could recommend you to other experts like Child psychologist at TalktoAngel for a more in-depth assessment based on preliminary results.

Speech-language therapy

Speech-language pathology is the primary line of therapy. This can be the only course of treatment required if speech is the only developmental impairment.

It provides a fantastic view. Your kid could have normal speech when they start school if they receive early assistance.

When there is another diagnosis, speech-language therapy can also be useful when included in the entire treatment plan. In addition to providing one-on-one therapy, the speech-language pathologist will also teach you how to support your kid.

Treating the underlying condition

It’s crucial to take care of underlying conditions and co morbid disorders when speech delay is associated with them. This might consist of:

• Assistance with hearing issues
• Addressing oral and tongue physical issues managing neurological abnormalities occupational therapy physical therapy applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy

What parents can do

The following are some strategies to support your toddler’s speech:

• Even if you’re just telling your child what you’re doing, speak to them directly.
• Make motions to indicate items while uttering the relevant phrases. You can use toys, people, body parts, colors, and objects you observe while taking a block stroll as examples.
• Read aloud to your young child. As you go, discuss the photographs.
• Sing easy-to-repeat tunes that are straightforward.
• When you speak with them, give it your all. When your child attempts to communicate with you, be patient.
• Never respond to a question someone asks them on their behalf.
• Give them an opportunity to express themselves, even if you can foresee their needs.
• Rather than point out mistakes immediately, say the phrase again correctly.
• Allow your toddler to engage in language-rich activities with other kids.
• Give options and pose questions, giving ample time for a response.

What to do in the event that you suspect a delay in your kid

It’s possible that everything is OK and your youngster will adjust on their own schedule. However, a speech delay may also be a symptom of other issues, such hearing loss or other developmental delays.

It is preferable to intervene early when such is the case. Contact your physician to schedule an appointment if your kid isn’t reaching speech milestones.

Continue reading, singing, and conversing with your toddler to help with speech development in the interim.

Takeaway

A youngster that exhibits a speech delay has not yet attained the speaking milestone associated with their age. Speech delays can also be caused by underlying medical conditions that require care. In certain situations, alternative therapies may be employed in addition to speech or language therapy.

It’s not necessarily a reason for alarm when a child speaks earlier or later than usual. If you find your child have symptoms of speech delay consult TalktoAngel an online counselling platform that have highly qualified and experienced child psychologists that can help your child in speech. They are skilled and provide counselling sessions that can help in overall development of the child and their future.