When the child doesn’t talk as much as other children of the same age, this may be a sign that he or she has speech or communication problems due to small changes in speech muscles or hearing problems, for example.
In addition, other situations, such as being an only child or the youngest child, can also create barriers in the development of speech ability, and in these cases it is recommended to consult a speech therapist to identify the possible reason for this difficulty.
- Children are generally expected to start speaking the first words around 18 months.
- But they can take up to 6 years to speak correctly.
- As there is no adequate age for full language development.
- Know when your child needs to start talking.
The best way to treat a child with speech problems is to consult a speech therapist to identify the problem and initiate appropriate treatment. However, many of the problems of childhood speech can be improved with some important tips, including:
However, parents and teachers should receive advice from pediatricians and speech therapists to find the best way to treat the child at every stage of speech development, avoiding damaging his or her normal development, even if he or she is slower than other children.
The main speech problems in childhood are related to the exchange, omission or distortion of sounds and therefore include stuttering, language disorders, dyslalia or apraxia, for example.
Stuttering is a speech problem that interferes with the fluency of the child’s speech, with the excessive repetition of the first part of the word being common, as in ‘cla-cla-cla-clear’, or a single sound, as in the case of ‘co-ooo-mida’, for example. However, stuttering is very common until age 3 and should only be treated as a problem after that age.
Kids with speech problems have difficulty speaking in a comprehensive way and, as a result, have a great difficulty expressing what they think. In these cases, sudden changes in the rhythm of the language are common, such as unexpected pauses mixed with higher speech speed.
Dyslalie is a speech problem characterized by the presence of various language errors during the child’s speech, which can include exchanging letters in a word, such as “callo” rather than “car”, skipping sounds, such as ‘omi’ rather than ‘eaten’, or adding syllables of a word, such as ‘window’. Learn more about this disease.
Apraxia occurs when the child has difficulty producing or correctly mimicking sounds, not repeating simpler words, such as saying “tea” when asked to say “man,” for example. This usually happens when the child cannot properly move the muscles or structures needed to speak, as in the case of a stuck tongue.
Due to the different changes in the child’s speech and the difficulty in identifying real speech problems, it is advisable to consult a speech therapist whenever there is a suspicion, as he is the most suitable professional to correctly identify the problem.
Thus, it is normal for children in the same family to start speaking around a year and a half, while others do not start speaking until after the age of 3 or 4, and therefore parents should not compare the development of a child’s speech with the older sibling as this can cause unnecessary anxiety and worsen the child’s development.
Learn more about speech apraxia, what causes it, and how treatment is being performed.
It is recommended to consult a speech therapist when the child
In these cases, the doctor will evaluate the child’s history and observe the child’s behavior to identify problems in the way he or she communicates, select the most appropriate treatment, and advise parents on how best to communicate with the child. , to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
Here’s how to tell you if your child has a hearing problem that can make speech difficult.