Babbling and playing with sounds are how babies communicate before they can speak until they are 12 to 18 months old. Then their communication abilities will advance. Social interactions with their parents or other caregivers also stimulate their speaking and communication abilities.
The verbal development of children differs. The cerebral development that takes place in the infant during the first three years of life is largely responsible for this. Certain children might experience speech and developmental problems. Speech therapy is effective in developing and enhancing communication abilities.
What is speech therapy?
Speech therapy is a therapeutic intervention specifically developed to treat a range of issues related to speech and swallowing. Speech therapists or speech-language pathologists usually supervise this treatment.
Speech therapy is necessary for children who typically deal with the following communication difficulties:
- Difficulty accurately producing sounds
- Challenges comprehending and employing vocabulary in sentences
- Inability to interact effectively with others
- Difficulties associated with swallowing and feeding
Through speech therapy, children can improve their language and communication abilities, enabling them to communicate more efficiently. Academic preparation and the development of a child's social skills are both essential.
Recognizing the signs that your child needs speech therapy
The development of speech and language in children varies considerably. However, by 12 months of age, infants can typically communicate their initial words, such as "mama" or "papa." By the age of 18 months, the infant will have learned a minimum of 10 to 20 syllables.
Experts recommend speech therapy for children who exhibit the following symptoms:
- Showing hypersensitivity to certain sounds, such as those produced by a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer, yet showing apparent indifference when called upon by their name
- Articulating words with incorrect vowel pronunciation
- Communicate mostly using vowels and exclude all consonants
- Saying a single syllable to express multiple idea
- The act of employing a word once and later stopping from using it
- Incorrectly points to the object that was requested
- Do not appear frustrated when you don't know what they want
- Answer by repeating portion of your question
- No goodbyes or peek-a-boo game reactions
- Just one word, no term or sentence
- Month-to-month linguistic development is minimal
Consult your pediatrician if your child shows the above symptoms. In the beginning, you will receive guidance and recommendations for speech therapy that are appropriate for your child's health and needs.
Delaying your child's speech therapy can have negative effects on their social, emotional, and intellectual development, so it's important to arrange for it to be done as soon as possible. Children with speech and language disorders can benefit greatly from early intervention speech therapy in terms of improving their quality of life, overcoming these issues, and supporting their overall development.If you have any further inquiries concerning speech difficulties in children, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Monica Salim
Elisa Cinelli (2023). How to Know if Your Toddler Needs a Speech Therapist. Available from: https://www.verywellfamily.com/does-my-toddler-need-a-speech-therapist-6979515
Patricia McAleer-Hamaguchi, MA, CCCSLP. How do I know whether my child needs a speech therapist? (Age 2). Available from: https://www.babycenter.com/child/development/how-do-i-know-whether-my-child-needs-a-speech-therapist-age_69444
Cleveland Clinic (2021). How to Know if Your Child Needs a Speech Evaluation. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-know-if-your-child-needs-speech-evaluation
Rebecca Buffum Taylor (2023). Baby’s First Words: When Do Babies Start Talking?. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby-talk-your-babys-first-words
Cleveland Clinic (2023). Speech Therapy. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22366-speech-therapy
Kids Health (2022). Delayed Speech or Language Development. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/not-talk.html