As parents, we always want our children to be ahead of the curve when it comes to developmental milestones. However, sometimes we notice things like speech delays or language discrepancies that make us question if there's an underlying issue. When this happens, it's important for moms to know if their child is developing normally or if they would benefit from speech therapy services.
What Speech Therapists Do
Speech therapists, also referred to as speech-language pathologists, help children with identified speech, language, or feeding disorders. They can do this through one-on-one sessions at a clinic, or through group sessions and classroom interventions within a school setting. According to KidsHeath.org, speech therapists provide treatment through one or more of the following methods: language intervention activities, articulation therapy, and oral-motor therapy.
Because speech therapists are highly-educated and well-trained individuals, they can also help children with cognitive-communication disorders or problems with early literacy skills.
Signs Your Child May Need Speech Therapy
The earlier your child receives treatment from a speech therapist, the less impact the speech disorder will have on them later in life. However, it's sometimes hard for parents to know what speech and language issues are an actual problem and which are part of a child's normal development. Luckily experts at The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association say that parents can look for a few specific signs that an intervention is needed.
For example, your child may have a language delay if they cannot say at least 50 words by age 2. Although children often start babbling and communicating at different rates during their first year of life, the vast majority of kids catch up to their peers by age 2. However, two year olds who cannot say at least 50 common words or kids who struggle when communicating with other children may have a language disorder.
Also, children between the ages of 2 and 3 who cannot accurately pronounce p, b, m, h, w, k, g, f, t, d, and n may have a speech sound disorder. Some letter sounds are difficult for children to pronounce, but these 11 consonants are usually the easiest for children to master from a young age. If your three year old struggles with several of these sounds, it could be the sign that there's an underlying issue. The same is true if you or other caregivers cannot understand at least 75 percent of what your three year old says.
Other early speech and language problems for children include stuttering and lisps. Children with hearing loss can also show speech or language delays as early as age 3. Furthermore, children with other disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder or cerebral palsy, can struggle with speech and language from a young age.
For these reasons, the CDC stresses that it's important to get to the root of your child's speech or language disorder at a young age. Luckily, a speech therapist and your child's pediatrician can help you figure this out and outline a treatment plan that will ultimately help your child work through these deficiencies.
Even if you notice listed indicators that speech therapy may be needed, consult with your child's pediatrician before doing anything else. Medical experts are always the best sources of information on child development, and they can help you determine if your child would benefit from speech therapy services or not. It never hurts to bring these topics up, and your pediatrician will be more than glad to help you out.
Sources: KidsHeath.org, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, CDC