Most parents are naturally worried when they find their child not talking or speaking out as well as other kids of the same age. Though children might be acquiring speech skills in varying ways, speech delay can also be an indicator of other problematic situation. Speech delays happen when the child that is able to communicate is behind in this process as compared to the rest of the age. Such delays may appear in numerous forms, including a restricted vocabulary or a hard time pronouncing the words or composing sentences. Being aware of the causes, signs, and effective intervention on speech delays can assist the parents in an attempt to overcome the problem as well as remain sure that a speech development of a child remains on schedule.
Although this may seem like a minor problem to tackle early enough, it is important to help a child because it influences his or her overall development. Children are usually able to close the gap when given the proper help and guidance especially in the skill of communication. As a parent, it is always better that you are proactive, not only when it comes to seeing some signs that your child may have something wrong with their speech but also when you need to get the assistance of a professional. Rather early intervention and consultation with the proper specialists may considerably enhances the possibility of positive outcome. The guide will equip you with knowledge that you can use in identifying and correcting speech delay among young children so that they get the proper care to assist in speech development.
What are Speech Delays? and what Causes Speech Delays?
Speech delays arise whereby a child takes longer to speak than he should do at his particular age. It is necessary to realize the difference between speech delays and language delays as sometimes they can have different causes and need different treatment. A speech delay is the difficulty in production of speech sounds or words whereas language delay is the trouble in understanding or utilize language. The knowledge of such differences can assist parents in pinpointing the problem.
The causes of having a speech delay by a child are diverse. It can be due to genetic aspects, developmental delays or environmental causes such as deprivation to the speech and language. Hearing problems are sometimes the cause of the delay in speech and, therefore, it is important to eliminate physical problems. When a child experiences repeated infections in their ears, it can affect his or her sense of hearing, which is key in acquiring the right speech. In case you see that your child is having difficulty speaking, it will be a good idea to contact a pediatrician near me. A pediatrician will be able to evaluate the development of your child and see whether there are some health issues.
Speech Delays in Your Child Moreover all children are different there are no universal signs which would determine whether a child has a speech delay or not but there are some general signs of speech delays moreover you may realize that your child has a developmental delay
Parents need to be aware of the normal development of children at the age of speaking so that they can identify the delay at a very early stage. At age 12 months, a child ought to speak some few words such as mama, dada. This is because by the age of 18 months, they are expected to use a broader scope of words and make simple sentences using words by the time they are aged two years. Failure of your child to reach these milestones could be a sign of speech delay.
However, apart from delayed milestones, other symptoms of a speech delay are a small vocabulary, trouble with word forming, or pronunciation trouble. When your child cannot speak much or can hardly be understood it is a good idea to pay attention to the progression. You need to listen to your parental instincts, and in case of worrying symptoms, it is completely discouraged to deny contacting a pediatrician. With early detection, the problem can be countered in a way that it will not be to be a greater challenge.
Professional Help: The Need to See a Pediatric Specialist
Timely information on when to get the services of a professional is essential when dealing with speech delays. At two or three years of age, your child fails to exhibit the expected activities in terms of speech, you may want to pay a professional a visit. All children grow at their own rates though huge delays in any of the areas should be taken in consideration by a pediatrician or a speech therapist.
In case you realize that your child has some problems hearing or quite often has an ear infection, it is important to visit a kid allergist. Ear infection and allergies are some things that impair the hearing of a child thus slowing down the ability to gain speech. An allergist would assist in the determination and treatment of any allergic reactions that may be causing the hearing problems and enabling your child to acquire speech skills with ease. Moreover, in case the speech delay does not improve, a speech therapist will be able to offer individual tricks so that your child matches with other children.
Difference in Speech Development: How Early Intervention Works.
In the case of speech delays, the first one to step in is the first step. It was found that those children, who are supported and sent through speech therapy at an early age, are more likely to improve as compared to those children, who have to start at a later time. Early intervention also enables such children to acquire the necessary skills that they require to communicate effectively which are very essential towards their overall development.
Your child can learn to say sounds properly and enlarge their vocabulary and learn more language through speech therapy. There are numerous methods, which are applied by speech therapists to entertain children and make their learning experience joyful, including play-based approach. The earlier you start therapy, the better, and the earlier the problem is detected, the higher chances that your child is going to make a progress based on the assumption that the earlier the problem is detected, the less ingrained it may be. You should also start as soon as possible to make your child have the best chances to succeed.
Helping Your Child at Home to Develop His/Her speech
Along with the professional therapy the development of speech process can be supported at home by the parents. Reading aloud can be one of the least or most effective techniques of stimulating speech. Reading books aloud not only allows them to learn new words, but adopts them in the situation where your child may hear a proper use of pronunciation and sentence construction.
Talk with your child each day even though he or she cannot respond at all. Show interest in them by asking questions and waiting to see how they could make up words and sentences. Games such as listening to songs or playing games like I spy also contribute to the enhancement of speech development because these can expose your child to new words and make him repeat the words. You should take your child to the allergist in case they constantly have ear infections or allergies that may interfere with their hearing skills. The health concerns may affect their hearing capability, which is critical to the learning of speech.
Final Thoughts
Speech delays can be a terrifying case to deal with at an early child age, but they can be worked on through the help of an early setup of intervention. Understanding that often there are certain signs of a delay at an early age, you can react accordingly, by addressing a pediatrics specialist, you will be able to provide your child with the necessary treatment. The speedier is the diagnosis of speech delays, the higher the chances of children meeting their counterparts in relation to communicative abilities. One way or another (by speech therapy, medical help or home exercises) all of these steps can assist your child develop good speech and language skills.
As a parent you are an important contributor to the speech development of your child. Even such activities as reading to the child, talking to her/him, and doing other speech-enhancing activities will yield significant results. In case you think that some health problems might be behind the speech problems in your child, it is important to consult with related health experts. Through being proactive and committed, you will be able to provide your child with the greatest opportunity to conquer the speech delays and achieve the full potential in the area of communication.
