Development of the speech of the child: how to help him?

Your child is 2 years old and he still does not talk? He says a few words, but do you think that the child is far behind in the development of speech compared with peers? Besides, you remember that the little sister of a child at the same age could make whole offers ... Hoping that the youngest will catch up with her, you are all putting off a doctor's appointment for professional advice. This is fundamentally wrong.

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Parental errors in the development of the child's speech skills

"Some children develop speech skills slowly, and some at this age are real chatterboxes," you tell yourself - and do not rush to the doctor. It seems to you that there is nothing to worry about ... This scenario is very common among parents of children who do not rush to talk. And some parents with their passivity only delay the time, and in fact it could be used to develop the speech of the child.

If parents observe "slowness" during early development and in other areas - emotional, motor, cognitive - do not be shy, you need to seek advice from a neurologist and speech therapist. Some parents are encouraging themselves that "he will outgrow" or "he just loves to move physically more." And time is running out ...

Therefore, if there are no shifts in the development of speech, it is necessary to consult a specialist in time.

Understanding the child's normal speech and developing his language skills

It is very important for parents to discuss early development of speech, as well as other problems of child development with a doctor. On the eye, without the opinion of a specialist, it can be difficult to determine whether a child is simply immature in his or her years or has a slowed ability to communicate, is there a problem that requires professional attention of the doctor.

These norms of speech development can give parents the key to understanding

Development of speech of a child up to 12 months

When a child reaches this age, you need to closely monitor how he is trying to talk. Separate syllables and babble of the child appear in the early stages of speech development. When children grow older (about 9 months old), they begin to produce individual sounds, syllables, use different shades of speech, say such words as "mom" and "dad" (not really understanding what these words mean).

Parents should be attentive to the speech of the child up to 12 months. Children at this age begin to recognize the names of objects. Children who look at adults attentively during their conversation, but do not respond to sound, may be deaf.

With the child you need to constantly talk, tell him about what you see during a walk or some kind of housework. It is necessary to encourage any attempt of the child to speak, to say syllables. Then he will be interested in this entertaining game.

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Development of speech of the child from 12 to 15 months

Children of this age should already have a wide range of consonant sounds (for example, P, B, M, D or P), they start imitating adults and repeating sounds and words for family members. At this age, clearly and distinctly, but spontaneously children say one or more words (including "mom" and "dad"). Nouns usually come first, for example, the words "lya" and "kis". Your child should also be able to understand and follow simple commands, for example: "Please give me a toy."

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Development of the speech of the child from 18 to 24 months

Although the development of speech in different children is different, most children in 18 months speak 20 to 50 words. At the age of 2 years, children begin to combine two words to add simple sentences, such as "Lala Dai" or "Mama na". Children in 2 years should also be able to highlight familiar objects and name them, to find acquaintances on the photo, where many familiar and unfamiliar people, to name and show body parts on themselves. A child at this age can also fulfill two simple requests in a row, for example: "Please take a toy and give it to me."

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Development of speech of the child from 2 to 3 years

At this age, parents often observe an "explosion" in a child's speech. The baby's vocabulary should be gradually increased over time, children should regularly combine three or more words in the simplest sentences.

Understanding speech should also be improved - up to 3 years a child should begin to understand what it means to "put a cup on a table" or "put a pot under a bed." Your child also needs to be able to distinguish colors and understand descriptive concepts (for example, large in comparison with small).

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The difference between speech and language

The concepts of "speech" and "language" are often confused, but there is a significant difference between them.

Speech is a verbal expression of a language, it includes articulation, a way of forming sounds and words.

Language - a much broader concept than speech, and refers to the whole system of expression and information in such a way that it carries meaning. This understanding through communication is called verbal, and non-verbal speech is called writing and gestures.

You should be aware that the problems with speech and language are significantly different, and, moreover, often overlap. A child who has problems with the language may well say the words, but can not connect more than two words together. Another problem of the child's speech may be the inability to understand the words and phrases he uttered, he can not express his thoughts. And another child can speak well, but experience difficulties in the following directions.

A child who does not respond to sound or can not reproduce it should cause a special concern for adults. A child between the ages of 12 and 24 months is a cause for concern if he:

• Communicates only with the help of gestures, such as pointing at an object or waving with a "buy-buy" pen
• Prefers gestures to voice communication at the age of 18 months
• Can not simulate sounds up to 18 months
• Has difficulty understanding simple verbal commands

You need to see a doctor if the child is older than 2 years:

• can only mimic the speech or actions of adults and does not constitute independently words or phrases
• speaks only certain sounds or words and can not use spoken language to communicate more than is necessary for his immediate needs
• Can not follow simple adult teams
• The child has an unusual tone of speech (for example, a squeaky voice or a nasal sound)

Parents and educators should understand that the child at 2 years already knows about half of all words and at 3 years - about three quarters of the entire vocabulary. By the 4th year the speech of the child should be understood even by those who do not know the baby.

The reasons for speech delay and language skills

Many circumstances can lead to delays in the development of the child's speech. Even a normally developing child may be delayed. Delay in speech can sometimes be caused by disturbances in the speech apparatus, as well as problems with the language or the sky. The movements of the tongue for the reproduction of coherent speech can be limited by a too short frenum (fold under the tongue).

Many children experience speech retardation due to the imperfection of their oral-motor system, that is, the child has ineffective communication in the areas of the brain responsible for the reproduction of speech. In such circumstances, the child encounters difficulties in using speech and coordinating the lips, tongue and jaw to produce sounds. The speech of such a child may be accompanied by other problems with the oral-motor system, for example, difficulties with feeding.

• Delay speech may be part of the speech problem, rather than point to more global developmental delays.
• Hearing problems are also usually associated with speech delay, so the hearing of the child should be checked by an otolaryngologist. A child who has problems with hearing may experience problems with articulation, as well as understanding, imitation, and speech.
• Ear infections, especially chronic infections, can also affect hearing and speech. True, parents should not be afraid in all cases: simple ear infections, which were treated in time, do not affect the speech of the child.

If you or a doctor suspect that your child has problems with speech, timely diagnosis is crucial. It will help ease parental fears.

During the diagnosis, the doctor-speech therapist will assess the language skills of the child in the context of overall development. In addition to monitoring the child, the speech therapist will conduct standardized tests and find out whether there is a delay in the development of the child's speech, and also recommend special exercises. Speech therapist will also appreciate:

• How child is receptive to language (what he understands from the flow of speech)
• What your child can say (the so-called expressive language)
• Can your child communicate in other ways, for example, using gestures, facial expressions, etc.?
• How much the child clearly hear the sound and how legible is his speech.
• How good is the articulation of the child and whether its speech organs (baby's mouth, tongue, sky, etc.) are properly located. The doctor will also assess how well the child's reflexes are swallowed

If the speech therapist believes that your child needs speech therapy, your participation in this process will be very important. You can observe how the doctor works and learn how to participate in this process. A speech therapist will show you how you will work with your child at home to improve his speech and language skills.

When you visit a speech therapist, you may find that your expectations about the speech of the child are too high. But the teaching materials that determine the stages of the child's speech development can help you look at it more realistically.

What can parents do to develop a child's speech?

Like many other skills, developing a child's speech is a mixture of his natural abilities and upbringing. Much depends on the natural abilities of the child. Nevertheless, a lot depends on the speech that the child hears from others. Repeating the sound of words that a child hears from others, he imitates these sounds and thus learns to speak faster.

If the child has problems with the development of speech, early intervention by doctors can provide the child with assistance according to his needs. Thanks to specialists, parents can learn new ways to stimulate the development of the child's speech.

Here are some tips to use the child's speech development skills at home.

1. Spend a lot of time talking with the child, even in infancy, when he can not even reproduce syllables: speak, sing, and encourage imitation of sounds and gestures.
2. Read your child, starting with 6 months. You do not have to read a whole book to a child in one evening, but you need to look for age-appropriate thin books with large pictures. Try to show the child also books with three-dimensional pictures, which children can touch. There are a lot of such books on the market today. Later, let your child try to name what he sees in the pictures. Then let the children switch to nursery rhymes with a clear rhythm. Read also tales that allow children to foresee what will happen next. Your baby should already remember your favorite stories.
3. Use simple everyday situations to strengthen your child's speech skills. In other words, the child should listen and repeat for adults. For example, adults should repeat product names for the child at the grocery store, explain what you do, prepare food or clean the room, show the child the objects around the house. When you are driving, repeat the child the sounds you hear. Ask the child questions and encourage his answers (even if they are difficult to understand).

Regardless of your child's age, recognizing and eliminating speech problems at an early stage is the best approach to help a baby eliminate speech delays. With the right approach and patience of adults, the child will necessarily improve his speech skills.