Many mothers look forward to when their children begin to say their first words. But the wait turns into uncertainty and fear if we realize that, while other children of the same age are already speaking to their parents, ours barely babble some incomprehensible sounds or simply do not seem interested in doing so. How do I know if my child has language and speech disorders?
While each child’s development has its time, it is important to turn a deaf ear to the popular clamor that says, “Don’t worry, in time, he will speak”. Why? Your child may have a language or speech disorder, and the faster you attend to it, the easier it will be for him to overcome it and avoid its consequences.
Language and speech disorders in childhood
According to experts from the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), around 7% of monolingual children in our country have language and speech disorders. They can be conditions, such as dyslalia or dyslexia, which affect both the comprehension and expression levels, or a delay, which focuses on the expression and consists of a child having access to language later than his peers.
Whatever the problem, it usually does not receive attention. Estrella Hernández Vázquez, a speech therapist and director of the Clinic Specialized in Voice, Hearing, and Language Therapies, TEVAL, assures, “Many times adults do not think it is important that their sons or daughters speak; they believe that nothing is happening because they are young; in the end, what happens is that their process is very delayed”.
The fact that the language alterations do not seem serious because it is not a matter of life or death to the main caregivers can waste valuable time in their recovery. “Language and speech disorders are very common. The most important thing is to detect them in time for correction because it is possible to correct them 100%”, assures the specialist.
The sooner a language and speech disorder is detected and treated, the easier it will be to correct.
How do we know if something is wrong?
We insist each child lives his development differently; however, some red flags can help you detect the need for your little one to be evaluated by an expert:
- Since he is an infant, you perceive that he ignores you or cannot listen to you.
- When he turns one, he does not seem to intend to communicate or speak.
- He is over one and a half years old and does not follow any instructions.
- He turns two years old and only communicates his basic needs with one word.
- At two years old, he only repeats sounds or babbles but cannot communicate.
- You see a wide gap between him and other kids his age.
- Between his 2 and 3 years, you or his main caregivers do not understand 50% or more of what he says.
What happens if I do not take action?
Contrary to popular belief, language and speech disorders do not resolve over time. If you are worried, people around you may be likely to downplay the situation; however, you must follow your intuition and let a specialist check it out.
“The most important thing is to attend a check-up to know exactly if your child is in normal language and speech development or if there are areas of language and speech that need to be reinforced. The younger they start therapy, the faster the rehabilitation will be”, explains the speech therapist.
Avoiding the problem will only make it bigger. Estrella Hernández states that children who have unattended language and speech disorders can suffer from many complications during school time, “When there is a language and speech disorder, higher cognitive areas such as attention, memory, and comprehension do not work properly, and the little ones get out of phase”, This, in addition, can affect their self-esteem because they feel limited or rejected by others on many occasions.
How do I help my child?
To solve a language and speech disorder, teamwork is essential. Take your little one for a consultation and follow the recommendations of the specialists. In them, the therapists will give you instructions so that you can practice at home and reinforce what you have learned in each session. Rehabilitation will require patience and commitment on your part. It may be slow, but together you can do it.
The speech therapist (speech and language pathologist) is the expert in charge of dealing with speech problems is the speech therapist (speech and language pathologist). You can look for or ask your GP to recommend one.
Not addressing children’s language and speech disorders can affect their school performance and self-esteem.
Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara
