Parents are the first people who notice a child's development. Children start speech development from their first cry. A child who does not cry immediately at birth may have a health condition that a specialist can identify.

A child starts speaking by the time they are babbling. Most babies speak meaningful words at ages 10 to 14 months. The speech development in children is a gradual process. It follows a predictable timeline. Some experts say that speech therapy starts as early as infancy. It happens if the child has feeding issues.

A specialized field called paediatric speech pathology assesses and diagnoses speech issues in children.

Pediatric speech therapy

Speech therapy helps children to improve:

• communication skills
• language skills

Speech therapy improves the child's:

• speaking skills
• communication abilities

A pediatric speech language pathologist evaluates a child with

• trouble talking
• hearing
• using language

Pediatric speech therapy treats kids with:

• speech disorders
•  language disorders
  
  

Speech disorders

A speech disorder is a problem with making sounds, including:

• Articulation disorders. These are problems with:
• making sounds in syllables
• saying words incorrectly

The listener cannot understand what is being said.

Fluency disorders. One of the problems is stuttering, a flow of speech interrupted by:

• unusual stops
• partial-word repetitions
• prolonging sounds and syllables
• Voice disorders. These problems deal with:
• pitch
• volume
• voice quality

It distracts the listeners from what is being said. These types of disorders cause discomfort for a child when speaking.

Language disorders

A language disorder is a problem of understanding or putting words together to communicate. Language disorders can be either:

• receptive
• expressive
  
  

Receptive disorders

These are problems with understanding language.

Expressive disorders

These are problems with:

• putting words together
• having a limited vocabulary
• unable to use language appropriately
  
  

Cognitive-communication disorders

These are problems with communication skills. It involves:

• memory
• attention
• perception
• organization
• regulation
• problem solving
  
  

Early speech support for children

Communication

Communication is more than saying words. It helps children to:

• share feelings
• interact with others
• take part in daily activities

Early support addresses these challenges before they affect the other development areas of a child.

Children develop speech and language skills at different speeds. The ongoing difficulties they may encounter include:

• pronunciation
• vocabulary
• understanding instructions
• forming sentences

An early assessment helps parents:

• understand what their child needs
• identify suitable strategies

Parents are the first people whom the child relies on. They are the first people they are with while growing up. Therefore, they play an important role in a child's development. Some parents may not realize this, but talking to their children more often can encourage them to speak.

Speech support

Speech support is beneficial for a child’s confidence. Communicating clearly makes it easier for a child to:

• participate in play
• build friendships
• engage in learning at home or school

Parents can learn simple activities to practice communication skills during daily routines, such as:

• reading together
• naming objects
• asking questions
• encouraging children

Parental participation is very important to them. Parents are the first people whom the child trusts, before other people. Getting early support gives the children more opportunities to develop communication skills. It gives them encouragement and the right guidance.

Why do some children need speech-language therapy?

Children need speech-language therapy for many reasons, such as:

• hearing impairments
• weak oral muscles
• cognitive or other developmental delays
• cleft lip or cleft palate
• chronic hoarseness
• motor planning problems
• autism
• fluency disorders
• articulation problems
• feeding and swallowing disorders
• respiratory problems (breathing disorders)
• traumatic brain injury

Therapy must start as soon as possible. Children who start therapy early have better results.

However, it does not mean that older kids would not do well in therapy. Late speech pathology is still effective. The progress might be slower because they have learned patterns that must be changed.

There is no "too late" for speech pathology. It always works with patience and understanding. Do not let your kids rush to speak as you expect. They are still learning, and soon you will see the result.

FAQs

At what age does speech pathology work?

Speech pathology works at any age group. Hence, it is advantageous for children with speaking difficulties. Speaking starts at a young age, and learning speech and language early can treat the problem earlier.

Can speech problems in autism be corrected with speech therapy?

Speech problems in autism cannot be corrected completely. But speech-language therapy improves their skills in:

• communication
• functional speech
• social interaction skills
  
  

What is the role of the parents in speech therapy?

The parents are not speech pathologists, but they play a major role in the speech development of the child. The support they can give their children is a tool to encourage them to improve.

What is the role of the parents in speech therapy?

Children treat their parents as their first teacher.

What speech conditions can be treated with speech therapy?

Speech therapy is a communication disorder. It is suggested for people with hearing impairment. It is recommended for people with:

• Aphasia
• Apraxia
• Articulation disorder
• Cognitive-communication disorder
• Dysarthria
• Fluency disorders
• Receptive disorders
• Resonance disorders