Often as a parent one loves to hear the first words from their baby. Unfortunately delayed Speech is a problem which is sometimes observed in many babies. There are many late talkers who have been suffering from that. However if speech delay is observed in your baby then these are some important things you should know.
Warning signs of delayed speech problem in late talkers :
Between 12 to 24 months of age:
- Not responding to sound or not vocalizing;
- No use of gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye;
- Prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate by 18 months;
- Finds difficulty with imitating sounds by 18 months
Over 2 years of age:
- Can only imitate speech or actions and does not produce words or phrases spontaneously;
- Says only certain sounds or words repeatedly and cannot use spoken language to communicate more than his or her immediate needs;
- Cannot follow simple directions.
Causes for delayed Speech or Language: Owing to Hearing Impairment, Autism, Neurological Disorders, Auditory Processing disorders, Intellectual disability, inadequate environmental stimulation, etc.
As a parent what you can do?
- Do not let your child watch television for long
- Play games and try to make him/ her speak during the activities
- You can make him/her sing a song in which she has interest.
- While making your baby talk, do not ask questions. Just make her repeat words.
- Immediately Consult a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP): A Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) or a Speech Therapist specializes in communication disorders and swallowing disorders.
At” Speechplus” we have an expert teal of SLPs. How they can help you?
The SLP would assess your child’s speech and language skills in context of his or her total development. Following which, the SLP would conduct some tests .After an overall assessment, a speech language specialist would work with a child with a specific disorder along with different disorder and specific therapy approaches. Therapy is individualized to meet each child’s needs. Tips for late talkers
However even with the therapy of our SLPS, parental involvement is always very important. Parents can observe therapy sessions and learn to participate in the process. The SLP would also show careers how they can work with their child at home to improve his or her speech and language skills. With appropriate therapy, the child will likely be able to communicate better with family members and the rest of the people around him/her.