7 signs that indicate speech problems in children
Speech problems in babies are not easy to detect in the first months of life, because since babies do not speak yet, we usually do not focus attention on this aspect. However, when it happens that a child seems to have said something, we are very attracted to the idea that he has started talking.
The child's language develops gradually and so does speech. In the case of language, from the first months, we can see the ways it uses to communicate something to us. They are crying and eye movement, the first elements of language in children.
Then, over time, all the other components of language and speech begin to mature in his brain and it fills with skills to represent the sounds that will shape a clearer, more defined, and meaningful expression.
Stages of language development
Knowing the stages through which language develops in children is useful both for stimulating it and for identifying future problems. A healthy baby begins to use crying as a means of communication. Once you understand that you get something out of this (comfort, food, attention, etc.), crying becomes very frequent.
But the baby has to evolve because we know everything is fine. Not only is crying enough, he must also know the voices of the people around him and some familiar sounds. Its evolution allows it to distinguish the phonic structures that make up the speech it is perceiving, which is why at six months the baby is able at least to differentiate which ones they are.
In this sense, when the child begins to imitate sounds, it is because he has heard and understood them to some extent. However, progress in this regard occurs differently depending on the characteristics of the child and, in some cases, does not even occur.
By recognizing the stages of language development, both parents and specialists can identify that the child is doing well. Delay or inability to develop language properly can be a consequence of speech, speech, or hearing disorders.
Language problems are focused on the disability of perception of the message and/or its expression. These problems are classified specifically and tend to affect the appearance of speech.
For their part, speech disorders are described by the child's difficulty in performing sounds correctly, entailing stuttering or discomfort in joining shapes.
7 signs that warn us of possible speech problems
To identify if there is a problem in the correct development of speech in children, it is necessary to be attentive to the signs that prove it. Depending on the age of the child, we can speak of delayed development or major problems.
So, in order to effectively help our little ones in this important phase, it is necessary to know these seven warning signs:
- The baby does not have at least fifty understandable words in his vocabulary by the age of twenty - four months.
- It can imitate the pronunciation of sentences, but it cannot spontaneously generate any expressions.
- He is able to make isolated sounds, but he is not good at forming words.
- He does not use two-word sentences, even when he can form words with the sounds he identifies.
- Avoid using links in sentences, because it communicates through simplification. That is, he prefers to use words that by themselves express everything he is trying to communicate.
- Has difficulty speaking fluently, such as stuttering and improper articulation of sounds, which can be observed in the volume or quality of the voice.
- He is a child with no evidence of a disorder; demonstrates good intellectual ability, develops fine motor skills and understands normally.
These signs are considered when they appear permanently up to three years of age. However, we can talk about more serious cases, for example when at the age of four he just begins to say his first words.
What to do when we suspect possible speech problems?
It is common for us to suspect that our child has a speech problem when we notice that compared to other children of his age, he does not express himself in the same way. In this sense, although not all children are the same, when this factor is combined with any of the above signs, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
It is normal for some children to have a late development, this implies that their first words arrive in a longer time than indicated. However, they can evolve favorably and be able to use language normally for the rest of their life.
