Common Characteristics of Speech and Language Delays- Does My Child Need Therapy?

Each child develops differently and at different shine differently. Milestones give us an idea of the skills a child should have as they grow.

If your child does not reach a developmental milestone on schedule, it does not mean that the child will have lifelong problem, but it is suggested for the child to be evaluated by a speech language pathologist for the area of speech, language, or feeding. The earlier the child received treatment the less time your child spend trying to play catch up on his skills.

Speech includes the area of articulation, fluency, feeding, and phonology

Language has two component, receptive and expressive language. Receptive language, includes problem understand what is read or heard. Expressive language, is how the child puts words together to get a message across.

Pragmatics includes social and play skills.

Some Red Flags for speech include:

Infancy:

• No babbling by 9 months

• Not responding to their name or hi/ bye by 15 months of age

• Difficulty engaging in functional play with toys or others

• No first words by 15 months

• No word combinations by 24 months

• Does not use gestures to communicate with others

• Excessive drooling

• Difficulty sucking, chewing, and swallowing

• Does not use at least the consonants (/p,b,m,n,w,h/)

• Has a hearing loss or appears to not be able to discriminate between sounds

• Does not follow simple directions by 20 months of age

Preschool-School age

• Difficulty following directions

• Problem understanding your child's speech at 24 months and/ or if strangers have difficulty understanding the child by 36 months of age.

• Child has difficulty answering questions and/ or understanding vocabulary

• Poor memory skills (School age children)

• Child is observed with word repletion ( e.g., I like like like cake) or other forms of disfluencies when speaking

• Problem coordinating their control and coordination of lips, jaw, and tongue

• Speech is slurred; difficulty controlling breathing for speech; exhibits abnormal loudness, rhythm or vocal quality.

• Child avoids talking or becomes frustrated when communicating with others who ask him/her to repeat themselves

If you have any questions on your child's speech and language skills, you can contact me! The earlier a child's speech or language impairment is identified, the better the outcome. Early treatment has shown to have a better school experience and a decrease of a gap between your child skills and the expected skills for his/hers chronological age.