Have you ever wondered if your child may have delayed speech skills? Do they have a difficult time answering questions? Or have a hard time pronouncing certain speech sounds? Are they a late talker or are they missing important milestones?

Sure, there is the ‘wait and see’ approach, hoping your child will outgrow their speech delay. Unfortunately, this approach can cause serious challenges down the road.

“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.

Early Intervention Can Make All The Difference

Early intervention for a child means an improved ability to interact and communicate with others, advance their social skills, and enhance their emotional development. Early intervention for the parents provides support, education, and guidance.

Here Are A Few Reasons Why Early Intervention Is So Important

Brain Development

In the first three years of life, a child develops a large part of their language and speech skills. Making it a critical time for brain development. If there is an issue with communication development, starting therapy during this time of brain development has significant results.

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.”

Remediation

Early intervention can improve communication skills in young children during daily routines and play time. Helping your child become more effective communicators often reduces negative behaviors, as well as decrease frustration.

Critical Role Parents/Caregivers Play

On a daily basis, Parents and caregivers play an important language model, which is necessary for effective communications. Through early intervention, parents are provided with valuable strategies to help facilitate language and speech development for their child.

According to a national poll of audiologists and speech language pathologists, most parents are not aware that early intervention can decrease the duration of treatment and cost.

Don’t Delay

If you have any concerns about your child’s ability to speak, hear, or understand, don’t delay. Treated early enough, some disorders can be prevented or even reversed.

If you suspect your child may have a speech or language disorder, 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.