Identifying and Managing Speech and Language Delays in Preschoolers

Speech is actually the sound that comes out of our mouths. Language is the understanding of what the words mean. When a child’s language or speech is developing in the right sequence, but at a slower rate, a child is said to have a speech or language delay.

“Delayed speech or language development is the most common developmental problem. It affects five to ten percent of preschool kids.” (1)

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says that any “speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child’s social and academic skills and behavior.”

Causes of speech and language delays

As with most things, there isn’t just one root cause of speech and/or language delays. Causes may include:

• Language-based learning disability

• Hearing loss

• Intellectual disability

• Neglect or abuse or lack of exposure to language and speech

• Being born prematurely

• Auditory processing disorder

• Neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy

• Autism

• Cleft lip, or left lip and palate, as well as other structural issues

• Speech apraxia

• Selective mutism

• Bilingualism

Does my child really have a speech delay? Or is she just a late bloomer?

The key, here, is to look at your child’s ability to communicate overall, and not just whether or not he or she is using words. Your child may not say much, but he/she should still be able to indicate to you what he or she wants.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has a list of age-related speech and language milestones that you can review here.

Toronto Preschool Speech and Language Services (Canada) also has a communication checklist that’s available in several different languages: here.

These are the things that, on average, most monolingual speaking children will accomplish by the upper age in that age range. Remember that just because your child is not able to do one of the skills does not mean there is a speech or language delay. (3) If you suspect or just want to be sure, contact your child’s doctor.

Certain mispronunciations, for example, are common and okay. The issue becomes whether people other than parents can understand the child when he or she speaks.

Speech strategies and activities

Speech and language doesn’t develop on its own. Your child needs to be exposed to it to learn it, master it and use it.

Parents can help their preschooler’s speech and language development by:

• Reading rhyming books – Dr. Seuss is always a fun resource for this. (My personal favorite is Green Eggs and Ham.) Rhymes help your child learn sounds and will help them more clearly pronounce sounds that they may be having difficulty with.

• Comparative sounds – Children aren’t always aware that they’re pronouncing a word incorrectly. Comparing their mispronounced word with a similar sounding word (eg: “one” and “run”), they’ll be able to hear the difference and learn to say the problem word differently.

• Clapping Syllables – Syllables may seem as old-fashioned as “sound it out”, but clapping or tapping syllables teaches children that words are made up of different sounds, how different those sounds are and how they work together to make the word.

Education.com has a list of other speech development activities you can do with your toddler here.

Sources:

1. Speech and Language Delay and Disorder. University of Michigan Health System. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/speech.htm

2. Speech Delays: When to Worry. DiProperzio, Linda. Parents Magazine. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.parents.com/baby/development/problems/speech-delays

3. How Does Your Child Hear and Talk? American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm

4. Communication checklist. Toronto Preschool Speech & Language Services. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.tpsls.on.ca/psl/checklist.htm

5. Help for Speech Development: Preschool. Davy, Laura. Education.com. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Preschool_Speech_Development

6. Improve Your Toddler’s Speech Development. Calabrese, Lori. Education.com. Web. June 19, 2013.
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/toddler-speech-development

Reviewed June 19, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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