Speech and Language Delay - familydoctor.org (2024)

FAQs

Is speech delay parents fault? ›

When a child is having language problems, parents can jump to the conclusion that it's their fault or that they could have done something different to prevent it from occurring. If you've ever thought about this or are experiencing it right now, you must understand that your child's speech delay is not your fault.

Some children with expressive language delay "catch up" during the preschool years ("late bloomers"), whereas others have persistent delay (see 'Natural history' below). Early evaluation can help to correctly identify late-talking children who will benefit from intervention and/or additional evaluation.

A 3-year-old who can comprehend and nonverbally communicate but can't say many words may have a speech delay. One who can say a few words but can't put them into understandable phrases may have a language delay. Some speech and language disorders involve brain function and may indicate a learning disability.

Also call the doctor if your child's speech is harder to understand than expected for their age: Parents and regular caregivers should understand about 50% of a child's speech at 2 years and 75% of it at 3 years. By 4 years old, a child should be mostly understood, even by people who don't know the child.

Between 70–80% of Late Talkers seem to catch up to their peers by the time they enter school. Sometimes these children are called “late bloomers” because they eventually seem to catch up to other children their age.

Do autism and ADHD share any signs & symptoms? Well, yes. For instance, children with ADHD may seem hyperfocused on a subject for a short span, and children with ASD may also have a hyperfocused interest in one subject or object. In both cases, ADHD and ASD children may exhibit signs of speech delay.

Children who present as late talkers tend to catch up to their peers by the ages of 3-5 years old, but could be at risk for developing later language or literacy difficulties, or even mental health needs.

The most common causes of speech delay include: Hearing loss. Slow development. Intellectual disability.

If your child has not yet fully developed their verbal communication, they may be what is commonly referred to as a "late talker." Late talking is when a child understands more than they can say. While this may cause concern for some parents, it is important to remember that all children develop at different rates.

The two most common reasons why are: A child is developing talking or pronunciation skills at a slower pace than their peers. A child is having trouble learning the coordination for making sounds for speech.

Why is my 3 year old not talking but understands everything? ›

If your child understands everything but doesn't speak it is mostly because the child has developed receptive language appropriately for their age and may have an expressive language delay.

The more videos that toddlers watched, the fewer words they knew or said. Another study showed particularly harmful effects of passive screen time. Researchers found that before a child's first birthday, those who watched more than two hours of TV a day were six times more likely to develop a language delay.

What is Einstein syndrome? Einstein syndrome is a condition where a child experiences late onset of language, or a late language emergence, but demonstrates giftedness in other areas of analytical thinking. A child with Einstein syndrome eventually speaks with no issues, but remains ahead of the curve in other areas.

A combination of phosphatidylcholine, Vitamin E, and Omega 3s has helped many kids with speech.

While speech and language are two independent development stages, they often overlap. For example, a child with a speech delay might use words and phrases to express ideas but be difficult to understand. Conversely, a child with a language delay might pronounce words well but only be able to put two words together.

Speech and language delays can have many different causes. These causes can include hearing problems, Down syndrome or other genetic conditions, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, or mental health conditions. Delays can also run in families. Sometimes the cause is not known.

Twins are more likely to be late talkers than singletons. Family history. Late talkers tend to run in the family.

Speech delay occurs most often in those with an athetoid type of cerebral palsy. The following factors, alone or in combination, may account for the speech delay: hearing loss, incoordination or spasticity of the muscles of the tongue, coexisting mental retardation or a defect in the cerebral cortex.