Many parents are confused about their child’s speech delay because they notice other children start talking way before their kid.
Some other parents suspect that their child is autistic because he is a late talker.
Parents should notice that this issue is common among children, as one in five children in the US has a language delay problem.
Also, consider that speech or language delay is more common in boys than girls because boys learn at a slower rate than girls.
Please note that this article is just some basic information, and we will not provide any medical advice. If you need more help, then consider visiting a specialist in your local area.
What is speech development for kids?
Differences between speech delay, language delay, and autism
Is it a speech delay or autism?
What is speech development for kids?
Parents should know that kids do not start talking at the same time; that is why there is an allowed range of time for a toddler to talk.
Toddlers learn how to talk between 12 and 18 months old, and before that, they start to babble and imitate your sound.
By the end of that period, your kid should be able to identify and know some words and say simple sentences of 2 words.
When kids face difficulties with delayed speech and cannot meet the minimum requirement of the speaking milestone, then it should be clear that they may have a problem with speech development.
Differences between speech delay, language delay, and autism
It is as simple as that:
What is a speech delay?
It is when a late talker cannot express his needs or uses words to construct a sentence while talking with other people, even if he knows the words.
What is a language delay?
The child has a vocabulary and knows how to say each word well, but can only make short sentences of two words.
What is autism?
It is a developmental disorder known for a lack of social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive behavior.
Is it a speech delay or autism?
According to Dr. Mary Barbera, speech delay is a symptom of autism, but it does not necessarily mean that the child is autistic.
To start telling if a child has a speech delay or autism, an evaluation is carried out by a professional when the child’s age is between 18 and 24 months old.
There are mainly four signs to look for, such as:
Understand some language.
If your child does not understand simple orders like telling him to throw something away, then it is not necessarily autism; it could be a simple delay.
How they play with toys and objects.
Typical children like to play with several different toys, but playing with one single toy for a long time is a red flag for autism.
Look for imitation play.
Typical kids like to imitate you, like waving goodbye to someone or making an airplane fly with their hands.
If kids have a speech delay problem but like to imitate play, then it is not necessarily autism.
Observe and look for pointing.
Pointing to objects or people should be common and used every day by kids.
They use pointing to express their needs, even if they do not know the right words.
If the kid does not use pointing, then it is a red flag for autism.
Signs of speech delay.
Parents should know that the talking milestone is like any other milestone, and children develop at their own pace.
The most important signs you should notice in your child are the following:
The child does not use as many words as other kids.
Kids should expand their vocabulary over time, so if your late talker does not match this milestone, then there could be a problem.
Refer to the table above to see how many words your child should know.
The kid does not understand language.
Parents cannot identify this problem because they communicate with their late talker using hand motions and body gestures while talking, but their kid only understands their moves.
For example, if you order your kid to get you something without using any hand gestures or pointing and he does not understand, then he does not understand what you say.
The kid does not engage with others.
It means kids are not interested in people; Typical children interact with others by playing or waving hi or bye to people.
He prefers to use sound to communicate.
Your late talker prefers to use his voice to interact with others by babbling or grunting instead of talking.
These sounds should be okay until he reaches 12 months old, but after that, you should expect to hear his first word.
The kid is frustrated.
The child does not like to deal with other people because he is not used to dealing with them or does not bond with other kids his age.
You can download this infographic to easily remember the signs of speech delay.
What causes speech delay in toddlers?
The causes of speech or language delay are:
Poor communication.
There is not enough communication between parents and the child, so parents should assign some time to talk and engage with their child.
It is like the movie Tarzan, when no one communicated with him except apes, so he used babbling to talk to ordinary people.
A tongue-tie.
This issue limits the range of motion for the tongue to make certain sounds, but doctors can notice this issue early, and it requires simple surgery.
Hearing loss.
A child may have a hearing loss, which has a direct effect on learning how to say and copy the sound of words from their parents, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Children with autism have a problem because they do not understand why they have to talk to other people.
As these children are not interested in communicating, they do not know why it is necessary to talk to others.
Unpleasant childhood.
Studies show that nearly 35% of children who are exposed to neglect and childhood trauma will suffer from speech or language delays.
There is no particular reason.
If you do nothing wrong with your child and yet he does not talk, then do not panic.
For example, if your child does not reach the 24-month milestones but does all 18-month milestones, then it is just a delay.
Tips to help a kid with a speech delay.
Parents should not worry about this issue because it is common, and their late talker will finally catch up with other kids his age as if there were nothing.
Some tips to help the parents are like:
Learn the milestones.
Milestones are an index of how a child develops or makes achievements over time, like when to start crawling, walking, talking, etc.
Every milestone is a period because not all children develop at the same pace, and there are other factors to consider, such as the environment they live in, time spent with their parents, etc.
Consider reading reputable resources about developmental milestones.
Talk to your teacher and pediatrician.
If your child goes to kindergarten, then ask the teacher about how he interacts with others and his behavior.
Going to a pediatrician to share your concerns is also an effective way to get answers about his condition.
Learn about applied behavior analysis (ABA).
They can teach you strategies to do at home with your late talker to help with speech delay problems or early autism.
Assign some time for your kid every day.
You should spend a lot of time with your child every day, talking to him or reading him short stories, even if he does not understand anything you say.
Doing this will help your son to remember the vocabulary and ease his mission to start talking.
Play simple songs.
Playing simple songs to your kid and helping him to repeat the words after the singer is a good way.
We do not recommend playing movies because children get addicted to TVs and phones, which can have many unfavorable effects.
Seek professional help from speech-language pathologists.
If you fail, consider visiting speech-language pathologists because they can evaluate the child’s abilities and give him real help.
They will also advise you to follow some techniques to help your kid.
