How to Deal With a Speech Delayed Child
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that 8 to 9 percent of young children have a speech sound disorder. In addition, about 5 percent of children in first grade have some type of speech disorder that is obvious to other people. While the cause is not always known, hearing loss, brain injury and neurodevelopmental disorders are often responsible. Once you recognize that your child has a problem, early intervention can help.
Instructions
Look for signs of a problem. Keep in mind that a child̵7;s language development starts in infancy long before he speaks his first word. If your child isn̵7;t reacting to sound or using gestures by age 1, or is using gestures instead of making sounds to communicate at 18 months, there could be a problem with his speech and language development, points out KidsHealth. Request a speech evaluation if your child isn̵7;t saying words and phrases on her own by age 2. Normally, kids start to put two words together and develop a vocabulary of about 50 words by 24 months. If your 2-year-old isn̵7;t saying many words or you understand less than half of what she says, talk to her pediatrician who can refer her to a speech-language pathologist for screening and evaluation. Inquire about early intervention programs in your state. If your child is older than age 3, your local school district can evaluate him to determine if he needs special services such as speech therapy. Public schools must offer screening and evaluation at no cost even if your child goes to a private school or home school, notes Deborah L. Bennett, a speech and language pathologist in Keene, New Hampshire, for Parent Express. But depending on a school district̵7;s funding, speech therapy services may not be available to your child unless he attends public school. Check to see if your insurance company offers any of the therapies your child needs. Some health insurance companies will pay for a child to receive speech and language or occupational therapy to help improve her language skills. Participate in your child̵7;s speech therapy sessions. By observing the speech or occupational therapist at work, you can learn what to do at home to help your child improve his speech and language skills. Find ways to verbally interact with your child. Play one-on-one games that encourage her to use both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Talk to her, read to her, sing with her or help her recite nursery rhymes. Do anything, including asking her lots of questions, that encourages her to talk. Focus on activities that teach her new words and help develop her memory and listening skills, suggests the University of Michigan Health System. Give your child your undivided time and attention when he talks to you. Look at him as he speaks. Provide positive reinforcement and avoid criticizing him if he makes grammar mistakes.The goal is to get your child talking even if he doesn't say every word correctly. You don̵7;t want to make him feel uncomfortable or self-conscious when he̵7;s speaking.
