Speech Therapy: When Does Your Child Need It?
Before you assume that your child is having developmental problems, you should keep in mind that all children will progress at a different pace. Nevertheless, you will find that some children may show significant differences when compared to their peers. It then becomes a tough call to know whether your child is simply developing at their own pace or if they do require professional assistance to help them catch up. One of the aspects that may show significant differences between one child and the next is speech. If you have a toddler and find that they are not communicating as well as they should at their age, you may want to consider speech therapy. So what are the signs that your child may need speech therapy?
Your child is not interacting with other children
Humans are social creatures. Therefore, even if your child may be shy, they would still have some form of interaction with their peers, even if they are not as extroverted as that of other children. If you find that your child does not interact at all with people, then it could be a red flag for speech problems. This can be noticed from infancy. For instance, babies will have a tendency to babble to people, even if you cannot understand what they are saying. If your baby does not babble, then you may want to consider setting up an appointment with a speech therapist.
Another sign would be if your child only uses pointing and gestures when interacting with other people, rather than emitting any sounds. This would likely happen with older children who should be talking by their age.
You cannot understand what your child is saying
When it comes to toddler interaction, you will usually find that the parent will be better placed at knowing what their child is trying to communicate. This is because they will have become accustomed to the sounds the child makes when trying to interact. If you find that the sounds your child makes remain incomprehensible to you, then chances are they also are having difficulty in trying to communicate.
As your toddler gets older, their sounds will start to sound more like common words and phrases that you use around them, which should make communication easier between the two of you. If this is not happening, then you may want to consider seeking speech therapy to address the problem before it becomes a bigger issue as they grow older.
For more information, contact local professionals like communiKIDS.