The earlier a speech or language disorder is diagnosed, the sooner you can get your child reaching those milestones and normal communication.
It isn’t easy to know if your child has a speech impediments, continuing with last week’s blog, here are a few questions to ask yourself.
Is your child difficult to understand? Can people outside the family unit understand what your child says?
It can be difficult for members of the family to realize there is a speech issue because they hear the child talk every day. As your child enters school, acquaintances and strangers should be understand them.
You child may have an issue with their speech if you notice that individuals are consistently not understanding what your child is saying, asking your child to repeat themselves, or to slow down their speech.
If my child is a little behind in meeting their communication milestones or having speech issues, should I just wait and see if it improves on its own? Are there any academic repercussions in waiting?
The cornerstone of learning and academics is communication. Studies show children with speech or language issues typically perform below average in school, and have anxiety about social situation and school.
Talk to your child’s teacher, are they writing and reading on appropriate grade level, do they answer questions during class, do they pay attention and participate, or socialize with other classmates?
ASHA says: “The earlier a child’s speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships.”
If you suspect your child may have a communication issue, it doesn’t mean your child can’t grow up to be an expressive communicator or confident.
A good place to start is with an evaluation by a speech therapist. This will assess your child’s communication development and help them reach their full potential with a unique treatment plan.
An evaluation can be very helpful if you notice any possible issues, such as trouble pronouncing words correctly or difficulty understanding instructions.
