Q:
My child is three and a half years old, but is still not speaking.
What is the normal age of acquiring speech and language?
A:
The child learns to say his first words around his first birthday
and then progress to using two – word sentences followed by
simple sentences. This whole procedure takes place by the age of
two and a half to three years.
Q:
Is it normal for children to have delayed speech? When should I
seek help?
A:
If your child has not uttered his first meaningful word by the age
of one and a half years, then consult your pediatrician who would
do a detail examination of the child to find out the cause of delay.
The child should also be screened for his hearing ability.
Q:
My husband also did not speak till he was 4 years old. Is delayed
speech hereditary?
A:
Yes, to a very small extent. But still you cannot ignore the fact
that your child is not speaking and hence he needs to be attended.
Q:
What are the causes of delayed speech?
A:
There are many causes of delayed speech such as –
- Hearing
loss.
- Slow
motor development.
- Lack
of stimulation in the environment.
- Mental
retardation.
- Cleft
lip/palate.
- Children
with a history of birth complications i.e. high risk babies.
- Emotional
and behavioral problems in the child.
Q:
Whom should I consult for my child’s delayed speech?
A:
A language and speech pathologist would be the right person to guide
you. She would evaluate the child in all aspects by carrying out
various tests and investigations and find out the causes of delayed
speech and then proceed with therapy.
Q:
What kind of therapy will be given to my child?
A:
The therapy depends on the cause of the delay in speech. If your
child is normal in all respects then, it could be that the environment
is not stimulating enough for the child to start speaking, in that
case the therapy would be in the form of play.
Q:
What should I do if my child is a high-risk baby?
A:
If your child is a high-risk baby then you should monitor his developments
very carefully. If the child shows any signs of delay even in motor
milestones e.g. Neck holding, sitting, crawling etc you should immediately
consult your Pediatrician/Physiotherapist/Occupational therapist.
At this point also consult a language and speech Pathologist, who
would guide you as to how to stimulate your child so that he is
not delayed in speech development.
Last
created on 13-01-2001
Last
updated on 18-11-2006
