Welcome To Best Delayed Speech and Language Therapy in East Delhi

What is a speech and language delay?

A speech and language delay is when a child isn’t developing speech and language at an expected rate. It is a common developmental problem that affects as many as 10% of preschool children.

Speech and language problems differ, but often overlap. For example:

• A child with a language delay might pronounce words well but only be able to put two words together.
• A child with a speech delay might use words and phrases to express ideas but be difficult to understand.

How Are Speech and Language Different?

• Speech is the verbal expression of language and includes articulation (the way sounds and words are formed).
• Language is the entire system of giving and getting information in a meaningful way. It's understanding and being understood through communication — verbal, nonverbal, and written.

How do I know if my child has speech delay?

Every child develops at his or her own pace. But if your child doesn’t talk as much as most children of the same age, the problem may be speech delay.

Symptoms of a speech and language delay

Your child may have a speech delay if he or she isn’t able to do these things:

• Say simple words (such as “mama”) either clearly or unclearly by 12 to 15 months of age.
• Understand simple words (such as “no” or “stop”) by 18 months of age.
• Talk in short sentences by 3 years of age.
• Tell a simple story at 4 to 5 years of age.

What causes a speech and language delay?

A speech delay in an otherwise normally developing child might be due to an oral impairment, like problems with the tongue or palate (the roof of the mouth). And a short frenulum (the fold beneath the tongue) can limit tongue movement for speech production.

Many kids with speech delays have oral-motor problems. These happen when there's a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech, making it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue, and jaw to produce speech sounds. These kids also might have other oral-motor problems, such as feeding difficulties.

Hearing problems are also commonly related to delayed speech. That's why an audiologist should test a child's hearing whenever there's a speech concern. Kids who have trouble hearing may have trouble articulating as well as understanding, imitating, and using language.

Ear infections, especially chronic infections, can affect hearing. Simple ear infections that have been treated, though, should not affect speech. And, as long as there is normal hearing in at least one ear, speech and language will develop normally.

The most common causes of speech delay include:

• hearing loss.
• slow development.
• mental retardation.
• Psychosocial deprivation (the child doesn’t spend enough time talking with adults).
• Being a twin.
• Autism (a developmental disorder).
• Elective mutism (the child just doesn’t want to talk).
• Cerebral palsy (a movement disorder caused by brain damage).

How is a speech and language delay diagnosed?

Your doctor can help you recognize a speech and language delay. He or she can listen to your child’s speech and check your child’s mental development. Your doctor may also refer you to other specialists. For example, you doctor may suggest a hearing screening for your child. An audiologist (a licensed hearing health care professional) would most likely perform a hearing test to check for hearing problems.

If you or your doctor think that your child might have a problem, it's important to get an early evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. You can find a speech-language pathologist on your own, or ask your health care provider to refer you to one.

The speech-language pathologist will evaluate your child's speech and language skills within the context of total development. The pathologist will do standardized tests and look for milestones in speech and language development.

The speech-language pathologist will also assess:

• what your child understands (called receptive language).
• what your child can say (called expressive language).
• if your child is attempting to communicate in other ways, such as pointing, head shaking, gesturing, etc.
• sound development and clarity of speech.
• your child's oral-motor status (how the mouth, tongue, palate, etc., work together for speech as well as eating and swallowing)

Based on the test results, the speech-language pathologist might recommend speech therapy for your child.

How Does Speech Therapy Help?

The speech therapist will work with your child to improve speech and language skills, and show you what to do at home to help your child.