The early years in your childs life are the most important in building up strong speech and language skills. this is because between the ages 0- 5 years the childs brain is developing extremely fast and they are more open to learning through interactions and routines in daily life.Young babies and children communicate with the most important people in their lives through daily interactions including routines such as bath time, play time, meal time etc. communication could be using a simple gesture or a sound or a word or a sentence. slowly children begin to realize that words stand for certain things and it “helps them get things done”. Adults respond to these responses which reinforce a childs communication attempts. Children begin learning more and more by exploring their environment, listening to others and off course developing their own ways in expressing themselves.
There are some children who are not able to communicate as well as children their age. This leads to them being unable to communicate their needs, wants and thoughts to the others around them. All this leads to less interaction with other children and adults. Less interaction means that the child doesn’t get the input or reinforcement to communicate leading to a further delay. that it why it is important not to wait if you feel your child has a delay in speech and language. Early intervention helps children significantly as they are more receptive in the early years and this can help personally, socially and academically.
Speech and language therapy helps to facilitate communication and interaction as well as includes the important people in the childs lives build up on speech and language.
We recommend a speech language consult if your child
12 months
Doesn’t respond to his or her name when called
Is not uttering strings of sounds in different tones e.g babagana. Babamama
Doesn’t not communicate in some way to indicate he/ she is interested in something
18 months
Is not using words
Does not understand basic words “up’’, “fan”, “light”
Does not point to ask for something
Does not point when asked “ where is…”
2 years
Not using words
Not combining words
Does not understand basic commands
Does not imitate words or actions
Does not like interacting with other children or adults
Uses mainly gestures to communicate
Uses few words
Is not joining words “mama over”, “dada take”
Is Not showing interest in pretend play e.g feeding the bear
Is showing Reduced eye contact
3 years
Is Not using words, combining words or sentences
Is Not taking interest in communicating with others
Is Not asking questions
Is Taking the caregivers hand and placing it over the object he or she wants instead of using words
4 years
Is Not able to use words, sentences to communicate
Is unable to describe or tell a simple story
Finds it difficult to understand you
Some children as they develop speech and language also begin having difficulties with their pronunciation e.g rabbit- wabbit/labbit, cup- tup, train- tain, bus- but, lollipop- yoyipop.
If you are concerned about such difficulties you can visit a speech language pathologist to see if these difficulties are developmental or due to problem in the childs mouth and if they require correction.
A couple of children, as they begin to talk or as they get older begin “stammering” or “repeating certain words” or “get stuck on some words” or “blocked”. if you are concerned about your childs fluency you can have it evaluated to help your child speak fluently.
PRONUNCIATION DIFFICULTIES/ MISARTICULATIONS
Some children as they develop speech and language also begin having difficulties with their pronunciation e.g rabbit- wabbit/labbit, cup- tup, train- tain, bus- but, lollipop- yoyipop.
If you are concerned about such difficulties you can visit a speech language pathologist to see if these difficulties are developmental or due to problem in the childs mouth and if they require correction.
STAMMERING/ STUTTERING
A couple of children, as they begin to talk or as they get older begin “stammering” or “repeating certain words” or “get stuck on some words” or “blocked”. if you are concerned about your childs fluency you can have it evaluated to help your child speak fluently.
CLEFT LIP AND PALATE
Some children have a gap or a cleft in their mouth. Before and after surgery children have difficulties in their speech. Some children may say sounds differently, others may sound “nasal” and some may be hard to follow. Early correction of these sounds help children speak more clearly.
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Adults may experience speech and language difficulties for a variety of reasons including stammering/ stuttering, loss of speech and language post stroke, inability to swallow, hoarseness of voice, speech language impairments due to progressive neurological conditions such as parkinsons etc.Being unable to communicate leads to a lot of frustration and dependence. Speech and language therapy in given to improve the ability to communicate through the use of scientific researched strategies as well as exercises.
STAMMERING/ STUTTERING
Occasionally adults may have difficulty speaking fluently. They may “repeat” or “prolong” words or get “blocked”. Some may also notice these dysfluencies in certain words or words beginning with certain sounds. Many also report that these difficulties increase when they speak to certain people or in certain situations.
NEUROLOGICAL SPEECH LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES
Speech and language difficulties can also present after a stroke, accident, as a part of a progressive degenerative neurological condition, or may appear as signs at an onset of a neurological disorder. Some individuals lose the ability to speak and understand where as some communicate well but have word finding difficulties or are unable to repeat.
Difficulties in speech can also arise due to weakness, poor coordination or paralysis of the speech muscles which need rehabilitation.
VOICE DISORDERS
Professionals like singers and teachers, who use their voice a lot may find themselves hoarse or unable to talk. Some individuals may have voice disorders after an illness or post surgery.
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