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Does Your Toddler Need Speech Therapy?

by Erik Simpson

Children's speech develops at different rates.  Some kids are very articulate by the time they're starting playgroup, whereas others are still struggling to string sentences together coherently.  But how slow to start speaking is too slow, and when should you take your toddler to see a speech therapist for more advice?  Read on for some helpful information.

Guessing games

It is quite usual for toddlers from around 18 months to three years of age to have problems with pronouncing words and putting sentences together.  This can result in many highly entertaining guessing games as you try to work out exactly what your child is actually trying to say.

Common mispronunciations include:

  • substituting 'f' or 'd' for 'th', for example, 'I'm in de baf'.
  • substituting  'w' for 'l' or 'r'
  • blending adjacent consonants, for example, 'Soppit!' instead of 'Stop it!'
  • mixing up multi-syllabic words or reducing them to make shorter words

Some kids even experience these problems right up until they are five or six years of age.  However, if your toddler's speech doesn't improve over time, remains muddled and is not always understandable after the age of about four, there could be an issue that a speech therapist can help to address. 

Signs of more serious problems

If the problem is more than simple pronunciation difficulties, and your child doesn't speak or speaks very little, this could indicate a more serious problem.  You should seek medical advice immediately if your child is doing any of the following:

  • failing to react normally to everyday sounds, for example, doesn't respond to his or her name or is oversensitive to the sound of the vacuum cleaner  
  • cannot pronounce vowel sounds  
  • speaks using mainly vowel sounds and omits most consonants  
  • just uses one sound as a catch-all for everything, for example 'duh'  
  • learns a word but only uses it once and then never again  
  • fails to recognise common objects in books when pointed out, for example if you say, 'Show me the doggy', the child just turns the page and repeats 'doggy', but doesn't point it out  
  •  seems ambivalent when you don't understand what they are saying  
  • makes no progress with speech development from month to month  
  • instead on answering your question, merely repeats it at you.  This is called echolalia and is often indicative of autism  
  • continues to say single words only, not sentences

Any or all of these examples could indicate that your child has a problem with their hearing or cognitive function, rather than their speech.  Always seek urgent professional medical advice in these circumstances.

In conclusion

Kids develop speech at different rates.  If you have concerns about your child's speech development, consult your doctor in the first instance to rule out medical problems.  Your GP will refer your child to a speech therapist like those at communiKIDS if necessary.

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