Does your child experience difficulties with speech or language? Is this an expected or normal part of development? Is this unintelligible speech normal or just temporary? Will your child outgrow this issues?
The fact is, many children can benefit with a little help on their speech and language skills from a qualified speech therapist. Improving their overall communication skills.
A speech therapist is professionally trained to help children with a variety of conditions.
What words your child understands (Receptive language)
How your child communicates their needs and wants (Expressive language0
Social language skills (Pragmatics)
Fluency and Stuttering
Sensory, swallowing, and oral motor difficulties (feeding difficulties)
Why is early intervention so important
Like with most specialties and medical fields, early intervention plays a vital role. This is especially true when it comes to speech therapy. Pediatric speech and language issues can lead to other difficulties, such as their writing, reading, and overall learning development.
Children with speech or language challenges also tend to experience difficulty making friends, bullying and other social consequences.
The longer these issues are left untreated, the more they become a problem.
A study by S. Ward, published in the National Library of Medicine, found that children that had early intervention for their speech development was shown to be extremely effective in preventing long term speech problems and other issues.
“We know parents want the best for their children. However, they may hear messages that encourage a ‘wait and see’ approach by suggesting a child may grow out of a communication issue. Unfortunately, this often is not the case. Delaying treatment means children may miss a critical developmental window where they acquire a majority of their foundational speech and language skills, which occurs between birth and 3 years of age, ” said Elise Davis-McFarland, PhD, CCC-SLP, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
“Hearing and listening to language is the primary way young children learn. The skills achieved during this time lay the groundwork for later success with reading and writing, academics, social interactions, and career options and advancement—making early intervention for any speech/language or hearing problem, preferably well before age 3, so important.
Davis-McFarland goes on to say, “What we know is that the sooner the issues are addressed by a professional, the better chance the child has of getting on that normal developmental progression.”
If you suspect your child may have a speech or language disorder, don’t delay, take the first step. Contact First Words Speech Therapy, we provide a comprehensive evaluation for a variety of speech, language, and occupational needs. We are dedicated to providing personalized care to meet your child’s speech and language needs.
