5 Telltale Signs That Your Child Needs Speech Therapy!!

Trouble with speech arises from a number of issues in the brain or the nerves that are responsible for the control of the larynx, vocal cords and facial muscles. Muscular disorders end up affecting the teeth, mouth and jaws which in turn will invariably impair speech. Sometimes many of the health conditions are present since childbirth whereas others might occur because of infections, injury, tumors and metabolic diseases.

There are different kinds of speech disorders; they are -

1. Aphasia is the inability to comprehend language in any form (written, spoken) and generally takes place because of disturbances in the brain.
2. Dysarthria is the condition that makes articulation difficult for patients suffering from it. Symptoms associated with dysarthia are difficulty swallowing and slurred speech.
3. Spasmodic dysphonia makes speaking a difficult job because of recurrent muscle spasms. These muscles affected in this disorder control the vocal chords, and therefore your speaking ability.

As most of the cases of speech disorders start to show early on in childhood, how can you tell if your child needs speech therapy?

Here are five signs that you should keep an eye out for:

1. There is a distinctive lack in social mixing or interactions. Children who are not able to comprehend and effectively respond to what you say need to be evaluated.
2. By the time the baby is twelve months old, she or he would be able to create words. By the time they turn eighteen months old they are able to connect words. If the ability to create such words or make gestures or sounds are absent or are markedly reduced in your child then you need the help of a speech therapist.
3. Parents are capable of understanding what their child says by the time they turn one and a half to two years old. If this is not the case then you will have to seek the help of a therapist.
4. If your baby is nearly three years old and is still incapable of uttering simple words such as ‘Daddy sleep’, ‘mommy hungry’ then you might need external help.
5. If your precious baby is significantly facing trouble with consonants such as ‘ma’ ‘ba’, ‘pa’ at the age of two or is incapable of making sounds such as ‘k’ or ‘g’ then your child most likely has a speech disorder. You should get him evaluated at the earliest.