Red Flags for Speech Delays: When To Be Concerned in Your Child

Development is unique, meaning that each child grows at his or her own rate and manner. As much as there is a gradual development in speech and language, there are specific age milestones that children with normal speech development achieve. 

If you are worried that your child might have a speech delay, the most helpful thing you can do for yourself is to know the warning signs and when you should consider seeking the assistance of a specialist in paediatric speech pathology.

 


Early intervention is key.

Hearing loss and speech delay, especially if detected in childhood, should be addressed immediately. The availability of speech pathology services in child care by professional speech pathologists enhances the learning process through the improvement of their communication abilities.

 

Red flags to watch out for

Here are some red flags to watch out for in your child's speech development (according to Speech Pathology Australia [1]):

  • By 12 months: Don't babble or use sounds like "baba" or "mama."
  • By 18 months: Has fewer than six words or doesn't use gestures to communicate.
  • By 2 years: doesn't understand simple instructions or struggles to follow directions.
  • By 3 years: Mostly uses single words or jargon and speaks unclearly.
  • At any age, it loses previously acquired speech skills.
  • Has difficulty using their mouth for speaking or eating.
  • Struggles to understand what others are saying.
  • Avoids social interaction due to communication difficulties.


If you seem to spot any of these signs, do not wait a second longer to explore speech pathology for children. 


Speech Pathology Treatment

Therapeutic auditory-phonological intervention involves the service of a speech pathologist who is able to evaluate the needs of the child in question as well as diagnose the problem in order to form a treatment plan. This treatment may call for different ways, like

  1. Articulation therapy helps children improve the way they produce sounds.
  2. Language therapy develops vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure skills.
  3. Social communication therapy teaches children how to use language effectively in social situations.


Taking Action

If you worry that your child is not talking or developing speech properly, it is important to remind yourself that you are not the only one. Learning disabilities, particularly in speech, are quite rampant in children, although through early intervention and help from professionals such as speech pathologists, children should be able to overcome these difficulties in their early childhood and grow to their full capacity. Speech pathology treatments are available nowadays. 


Source:

Speech Pathology Australia. (n.d.). Developmental Milestones. Retrieved July 18, 2024, from https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/

 

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