Child's speech development: how to help him?

Your child is 2 years old and still does not speak? He says a few words, but you think that in terms of speech development, the child is far behind his peers? In addition, you remember that the baby's sister could form whole sentences at the same age... Hoping that the youngest will catch up, you keep putting off going to the doctor for professional advice. This is fundamentally wrong.

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Mistakes Parents Make in Developing a Child's Speech Skills

"Some children develop speech slowly, and some are real chatterboxes at this age," you tell yourself - and do not rush to the doctor. You think that there is nothing to worry about... This scenario is very common among parents of children who are slow to talk. And some parents, with their passivity, only drag out time, which could be used to develop the child's speech.

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

Therefore, if there are no changes in speech development, you need to consult a specialist in a timely manner.

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

It is very important for parents to discuss early speech development, as well as other developmental issues, with a doctor. Without a specialist's opinion, it can be difficult to determine by eye whether a child is simply immature for his or her age or whether he or she has a slow ability to communicate, or whether there is a problem that requires professional attention from a doctor.

These speech development norms can give parents a key to understanding

Speech development of a child up to 12 months

When a child reaches this age, you need to pay close attention to how he tries to speak. Individual syllables and babbling are evident in the early stages of speech development. As children get older (around 9 months), they begin to make individual sounds, syllables, use different shades of speech, and say words like "mama" and "papa" (without really understanding what these words mean).

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

You need to talk to your child constantly, tell him about what you see during a walk or some work around the house. You need to encourage any attempt by the child to speak, to pronounce syllables. Then he will be interested in this interesting game.

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Speech development of a child from 12 to 15 months

Children this age should have a wide range of consonant sounds (such as P, B, M, D, or P), and are beginning to imitate adults and repeat sounds and words after family members. At this age, children will say one or more words (including "mama" and "papa") clearly and spontaneously, and nouns usually come first, such as "lyalya" and "kitty." Your child should also be able to understand and follow simple commands, such as, "Please give me my toy."

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Speech development of a child from 18 to 24 months

Although language development varies from child to child, most toddlers speak between 20 and 50 words by 18 months. By age 2, children begin to combine two words to form simple sentences, such as "lala dai" or "mama na." Children at age 2 should also be able to identify familiar objects and name them, identify familiar people in a photo with many familiar and unfamiliar people, and name and point to body parts on themselves. A child at this age can also make two simple requests in a row, such as "Please pick up the toy and give it to me."

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Speech development of a child from 2 to 3 years old

At this age, parents often observe an "explosion" in the 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.

Language comprehension should also improve - by age 3, your child should begin to understand what it means to "put the cup on the table" or "put the potty under the bed." Your child should also be able to differentiate colors and understand descriptive concepts (such as big versus small).

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The difference between speech and language

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

Speech is the verbal expression of language, it includes articulation - the way sounds and words are formed.

Language is a much broader concept than speech and refers to the entire system of expressing and receiving information in a way that makes sense. This understanding through communication is called verbal, while non-verbal speech is called writing and gestures.

It is important to know that speech and language problems are very different and often overlap. A child with language problems may pronounce words well, but may not be able to string more than two words together. Another speech problem a child may have is the inability to understand the words and phrases they say, and they may not be able to express their thoughts. A child may also speak well but have difficulties in the following areas.

A child who does not respond to sound or cannot produce it should be of particular concern to adults. A child between 12 and 24 months of age is a cause for concern if he or she:

• Communicates only through gestures, such as pointing at an object or waving a hand in a "bye-bye" manner
• Prefers gestures to vocal communication at 18 months
• Cannot imitate sounds until 18 months
• Has difficulty understanding simple verbal commands

You should consult a doctor if your child is over 2 years old:

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

Parents and educators should understand that a child at 2 years old already knows about half of all words and at 3 years old - about three quarters of the entire vocabulary. By the age of 4, even those who do not know the child should understand the child's speech.

Causes of speech and language delays

Many circumstances can lead to delays in a child's speech development. Speech can be delayed even in a normally developing child. Speech delays can sometimes be caused by disorders of the speech apparatus, as well as problems with the tongue or palate. Tongue movements for producing coherent speech can be limited by a frenulum (fold under the tongue) that is too short.

Many children experience speech delays due to an imperfect oral motor system, meaning that the child has ineffective communication in the areas of the brain responsible for speech production. In such circumstances, the child has difficulty using speech and coordinating the lips, tongue, and jaw to produce sounds. The child's speech may be accompanied by other problems with the oral motor system, such as feeding difficulties.

• Speech delay may be part of a speech problem rather than an indication of a more global developmental delay.
• Hearing problems are also usually associated with speech delays, so a child's hearing should be checked by an otolaryngologist. A child with hearing problems may have problems with articulation, as well as understanding, imitation, and speech.
• Ear infections, especially chronic infections, can also affect hearing and speech. However, parents should not be afraid in all cases: simple ear infections that are treated in time do not affect the child's speech.

If you or your doctor suspect that your child has a speech problem, prompt diagnosis is critical to help ease parental fears.

When conducting diagnostics, the speech therapist will evaluate the child's language skills in the context of overall development. In addition to observing the child, the speech therapist will conduct standardized tests and determine whether there is a delay in the child's speech development, and will also recommend special exercises. The speech therapist will also evaluate:

• How receptive is the child to language (what does he understand from the flow of speech)
• What your child can say (called expressive language)
• Can your child communicate in other ways, such as gestures, facial expressions, etc.?
• How clearly the child hears sounds and how intelligible his speech is.
• How good is the child's articulation and whether his speech organs are positioned correctly (the child's mouth, tongue, palate, etc.). The doctor will also assess how developed the child's swallowing reflexes are.

If the speech therapist believes that your child needs speech therapy, your participation in the process will be very important. You can observe how the therapist works and learn how to participate in the process. The 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 for your child's speech are too high. But educational materials that outline the stages of your child's speech development can help you be more realistic.

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

Like many other skills, a child's speech development is a mixture of natural abilities and upbringing. Much depends on the child's natural abilities. However, much also depends on the speech that the child hears from others. By repeating the sounds of words that the child hears from others, he imitates these sounds and thus learns to speak faster.

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

Here are some tips to help you build your child's language skills at home.

1. Spend a lot of time communicating with your child, even in infancy, when he cannot even reproduce syllables: talk, sing, and also encourage imitation of sounds and gestures.
2. Read to your child starting as early as 6 months. You don’t have to read a whole book to your child in one evening, but look for age-appropriate, thin books with large pictures. Try showing your child books with three-dimensional pictures that children can touch. There are many such books on the market now. Later, let your child try to name what he sees in the pictures. Then let children move on to nursery rhymes with a clear rhythm. Also read fairy tales that allow children to anticipate what will happen next. Your baby should already remember his favorite stories.
3. Use simple, everyday situations to strengthen your child’s language skills. In other words, your child should listen and repeat what adults say. For example, adults should repeat the names of products to your child at the grocery store, explain what you do when you cook or clean your room, and show your child objects around the house. When you drive, repeat the sounds you hear to your child. Ask your child questions and encourage their answers (even if they are difficult to understand).

Regardless of your child's age, recognizing and addressing the speech problem early is the best approach to help your child overcome speech delays. With the right approach and patience from adults, your child will definitely improve his or her speech skills.