Children are commonly encouraged to “take their time” to understand how things work. However, when is your child’s lack of chattiness or limited vocabulary a concern? While children are largely encouraged to develop their speech and language skills naturally and without pressure, it can be worrying when they appear to be falling behind developmental milestones.
It is essential to monitor your child’s development on milestone charts. If said milestones aren’t met, it may be worthwhile to engage early intervention to ensure that your child grows at an adaptive pace.
When should I be concerned about my child’s speech development?
We know how difficult it is to make out a child’s babbling. As endearing as it may be to watch them speak nonsense words, it is crucial to note how much we are able to understand children’s speech as they grow. As a general guide, 50% of a child’s speech at 2 years, 75% of a child’s speech at 3 years, and 100% of a child’s speech at 4 years should be understood. People who do not know your child should also be able to mostly understand their speech by the time they are 4 years old.
Additional warning signs include the following:
Ψ
Little to no babbling during infancy
Ψ Childhood ear infections
Ψ Limited use of consonant sounds e.g., p, b, m, t, d, y, k, g
Ψ Restricted use of pretend ideas and actions during make-believe scenarios
Ψ Has trouble imitating sounds or words
Ψ Excessive use of nouns (places, things etc.) but limited use of verbs (action
words)
Ψ Has difficulty getting along with peers
Ψ Limited use of gestures to communicate
Ψ Family history of communication or learning difficulties
Ψ Mild difficulty in understanding (comprehension delay) for his or her age
While it may be overwhelming to process, it is important to consider that your child may be experiencing a delay in language and speech, especially if they tick the last 3 boxes (little use of gestures, family history, and mild comprehension delay).
Speech delay may be a result of hearing problems, cognitive impairment, oral-motor problems or developmental disorder. In some cases, it is due to a lack of stimulation in the learning environment.
Some common causes for speech delays include:
Ψ Hearing loss – Hearing difficulties impair your child’s processing of sounds, which may impact their speech development.
Ψ Language delay – If a different language is spoken in your household, a delay in speech development may occur as it becomes more difficult for your child to code switch (i.e., constantly switch between languages).
Ψ Developmental delays – Delays in other areas of your child’s life (e.g., crawling) may lead to delays in speech development.
Ψ Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – Children with ASD frequently have difficulties with communication.
Ψ Intellectual disability – Children with an intellectual disability often experience developmental delays in various aspects, like speech and language, social and emotional development. Their ability to understand and/or produce language is likely to be affected.
How Are Speech Delays Diagnosed?
An experienced speech and language therapist (SLT) assesses a child’s speech and language skills by comparing your child with other children of the same age on typical developmental milestones. The speech therapist would also aim to determine the factors behind the developmental delay.
The speech therapist will assess your child on the following areas
- Receptive language – What your child can understand
- Expressive language – What your child can say
- Sound development and clarity of speech
- Oral-motor development – How muscles in the mouth (tongue, palate, etc.) work together to produce speech, eat and swallow.
Treatment
Speech therapy can help your child develop his or her communication skills. A speech therapist will work on the expansion of language or alternative communication strategies. They could also introduce exercises to strengthen the child’s oral muscles and teach the child how to coordinate the muscles used for speech. In some cases, the speech therapist may recommend your child to join a special education program.
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