Language development starts well before a child can speak. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or ASHA, lists developmental milestones from birth onward, and encourages you to seek advice from a certified speech-language pathologist if your child has not reached most of these milestones within the usual age range. Advice is freely available under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, or IDEA, which provides for free diagnosis and treatment of speech and language impairments in children aged 0 to 3 under the early intervention policy. Speech difficulties affect fluency and articulation, and language problems affect the ability to understand or be understood. ASHA advises that by identifying and treating potential problems at an early stage, you may help your child make a success of school and social relationships.
Delayed Language Development
According to the University of Michigan Health System, delayed speech or language development affects 5 to 10 percent of preschool children. Many may simply be “late bloomers,” who will catch up when they are ready, but some may have an underlying physical or mental disorder affecting speech, language or both. Delay in reaching developmental milestones may alert you to possible problems. For example, you may like to seek advice if your baby doesn’t respond to your voice, or your toddler doesn’t talk, or your three-year-old doesn't understand concepts like up/down or big/little, listen to simple stories or name familiar objects.
Other Signs of Potential Problems
Hearing ability is basic to language acquisition. If your baby does not respond to voices, music or sudden noises, it's important to his future cognitive development to test the hearing and start any necessary treatment as soon as possible. Difficulty in feeding or swallowing may be due to structural problems in the mouth or throat and may affect voice production if left uncorrected. Stuttering, according to the National Stuttering Association, can take many forms, have many causes and respond to many types of treatment. It often represents a natural stage of development and may right itself, but early intervention to correct it or help the child cope may avoid the complications of embarrassment or teasing at school.
Underlying Problems
Speech or language difficulties may result from a range of physical conditions that hold back development -- for example, poor hearing, brain injury or neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. They may also signify cognitive or psychological problems such as autism, learning disabilities or apraxia of speech. Delay in learning to talk in sentences and later difficulty in reading, may be associated with under-development in the neural circuitry of part of the brain, according to research by Professor Jonathan L. Preston of Yale University. Early intervention enables a certified speech and language pathologist to diagnose the problems, start treatment and involve other medical specialists where necessary.
Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of Non-Intervention
Amy Nelson MA, CCC-SLP, of KidsHealth advises that it becomes more difficult to treat communication disorders after age 5, especially as school life tends to compound the problems. Language problems lead to slower progress in nearly all subjects. Failing to keep up with the class can lead to frustration, embarrassment or isolation, with the risk of teasing and bullying. According to Jennifer Armstrong PhD, CCC-SLP, poor language development is often associated with low academic achievement, emotional and behavioral problems and consequently social problems, but the speech-language pathologist can play a key role in improving matters.
Interventions by the Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech-language pathologists, or speech therapists, check infants’ receptive and expressive abilities – how well they can hear, understand, make sounds, use their mouth and throat to vocalize or swallow, and communicate in appropriate ways. If the children can already talk, they assess articulation and fluency. Assessment is through observing how the children respond while playing or talking. The therapists explore possible causes for language delays or difficulties and agree a remediation program with parents, teachers and healthcare professionals. Treatment could include stimulating the child to talk while playing, modelling correct pronunciation, and practicing facial exercises to strengthen oral muscles. The aim is better communication and a sounder foundation for education, with targets dependent on individual needs.
References
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?
- National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Speech and Language Impairments
- University of Michigan Health System: Speech and Language Delay and Disorder
- ASHA: Swallowing and Feeding
- National Stuttering Association: Overview of Speech Therapy for Children Who Stutter
- KidsHealth: Speech-Language Therapy
- Brain; Early and Late Talkers: School-age Language, Linguistic and Neurological Differences; Jonathan L. Preston; May 2010
- The ASHA Leader: Serving Children with Emotional-Behavioral and Language Disorders; Jennifer Armstrong PhD, CCC-SLP; August 2011
