Speech delay (also known as alalia) refers to the delay in either the development or mechanisms necessary to produce speech. A speech-delayed child may have difficulty using the lungs, vocal chords, mouth, tongue or teeth to produce sounds. Speech delay can be caused by a physical abnormality in the mouth such as a deformed frenulum, lips, or palate. This may make a child slow to pick up words and lack the ability to shape their mouth and tongue in the formation of words. Other speech delays may be caused by oral-motor dysfunction, which is a lack or delay in the area of the brain that speech is formed and created and communicated to the mouth and tongue. Children with autism spectrum disorders, Auditory Processing Disorder, prematurity, and hearing loss will likely also exhibit speech delay.
Speech delay is usually noticed by watching the milestones of language development with children. If a child is not saying 3-5 words by 1 year of age or their vocabulary does not increase to at least 15-20 words by 15 months of age, she most likely suffers a speech delay. If at 15 months, a child is not communicating using words like “ma” and “no,” intervention and treatment should be sought.
From ages 2 to 4, if a child cannot use words in phrases or sentences, he does not use consonant sounds, or has a hard time following directions, speech therapy should be sought.
Another characteristic of speech delay can be oral-motor dysfunction caused by disorders like apraxia.
An auditory screening (hearing test) is an important first step for a child who shows delayed speech and early intervention with speech therapy is the best course of action. If hearing loss is a factor, the child can be treated with hearing aids, be taught sign language and/or undergo surgery to insert tubes in the ear.
If there is no hearing loss, the typical treatment is through speech therapy. Physical or occupational therapy may be appropriate if a child has poor muscle tone which inhibits the ability to speak. Speech therapy may include working with a private speech pathologist or in a school setting. Speech therapists suggest parents work at home with their children by reading stories, speaking clearly and concisely when talking with their children, and playing word games like pointing out animals on walks.
Speech Buddies are not appropriate to directly address speech delay issues. They can, however, help children who have suffered from speech delay if they have problems with articulation.
Articulation Disorder, Apraxia of Speech, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Palate, Down syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Language Disorder, Stuttering
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"After I bought the Speech Buddy, I noticed an immediate difference in his 'R' sound. This is a really helpful tool - I highly recommend it."
- Angela D.
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- Maryann K.
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