10 Warning Signs of a Speech Disorder In Your Child

by Courtenay M.

Would you be able to identify a speech disorder in your child?  If you are like most parents, the answer is No. As we delve into Better Hearing and Speech Month, we would like to point out 10 warning signs of speech speech disorder in your child. Of course, symptoms can vary depending on the specific speech condition of your child, but there are some essential signs that every parent should watch for as their children grow and develop.

What exactly is a speech disorder? According the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a speech disorder is when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or where normal speech is disrupted. Articulation disorders, speech impediment, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders. Both adults and children can suffer from speech disorders and they can occur as a result of a medical problem or have no known cause. Speech disorders involve difficulty in producing certain sounds such as “s”or “r”. As your child matures, his or her speech pattern should become more understandable and generally, he should be speaking clearly by the age of eight.  While all children develop at different rates, it’s important to ensure that your child is showing continuous language growth and progression.

10 Warning Signs of Speech Disorder in Your Child

1. Your child does not interact socially starting in infancy
2. He does not follow or understand what you say (starting at 1 year)
3. She says only a few sounds, words, or gestures (18 months to 2 years)
4. Her words are not easily understood (18 months to 2 years)
5. She does not combine words (starting at 2 years)
6. He has a limited vocabulary (age 2-3 years)
7. She says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly in words (1-2 years)
8. She says k, g, f, t, d, and n incorrectly in words (2-3 years)
9. He produces speech that is unclear, even to familiar people (2-3 years)
10. He is not using 2-3 word sentences to ask for things (by 3 years)

If you think your child is exhibiting any of these warnings signs of speech disorder, it’s important to seek the advice of a pediatrician or speech language therapist. Early intervention is the key to prevention and elimination of a speech disorder at any age. For additional detailed information, The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) has an online checklist available for parents who are concerned about their children’s speech and communication development.

Language Development