Top 5 Signs Your Child May Have a Speech Disorder
As a parent, you want your child to thrive academically. Unfortunately, they may have a difficult time doing so if they have a speech disorder. Speech disorders are common among young children and often lead to problems with writing and reading. They can also take a toll on your child's confidence and impede their ability to enjoy school and learning.
The silver lining is that speech therapy can likely resolve their speech disorder and put them toward the road to academic success. So how do you know that your child may have a speech disorder? Look for these top signs:
1. Stuttering
If your child struggles with the flow and fluency of their speech, they stutter and may have a speech disorder as a result. Many children who stutter repeat or prolong certain sounds or words. Studies show that stuttering may be the result of issues with the way the brain interacts with the muscles and mouth.
2. No Interest in Social Interaction
It's normal for young children to be shy. However, if you notice that your child ignores other children when they speak to or play with them, a speech disorder may be present. Lack of or little social interaction is a tell tale sign that there may be something wrong.
3. Lack of Babbling
Babbling usually occurs when a child is anywhere between four and seven months old. It's where they experiment with sounds but don't say any real words. Since babbling can play a vital role in your child learning how to speak, they may have a speech disorder if they don't babble.
4. Inconsistency in Speech
Do you notice that your child pronounces a certain word properly once but not subsequent times after that? This is known as speech inconsistency and is usually seen in children with speech disorders.
5. Structural Problems
If your child was born with a cleft palate or problems with their jaw, tongue, or lips, these structural problems may impair their speech. Fortunately, they can often be resolved before they have a negative affect on their academics.
If your child shows any of these signs or says fewer than 50 words by age two, it is in your best interest to schedule an appointment with an ENT doctor. They can perform a thorough evaluation and steer your child toward the right direction. Rest assured speech disorders are widely seen in young children and can almost always be resolved through conservative measures.
