How to Help Speech Delayed Children to Speak
According to the University of Michigan Health System, there are key milestones that indicate if a child's speech and language development correspond with his age. Over the first six years, a child whose development is normal should cry at birth and cry differently at two to three months, depending on the circumstance. Babies should respond to parents: babbling at three to 11 months and imitating recognizable speech at six to 11 months. They should speak at least one to two words, recognize names and comprehend simple instructions by age one and develop at least a 450-word vocabulary from age two to three, including the ability to combine nouns and verbs.
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Instructions
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Seek help. If parents believe their child's speech and language development is delayed, they should seek medical expertise. A physician can, many times, recommend a speech-language pathologist who can evaluate the child's skills.
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Visit a speech pathologist. A speech-language pathologist will assess the child's speech and language development relative to her overall development. By conducting standardized testing, a speech-language pathologist will determine what the child understands and can say, whether the child attempts other forms of communication like gesturing, how clearly the child speaks and how the child's mouth and tongue function together for speaking, eating and swallowing.
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Provide additional support at home to spur your child's development in conjunction with professional help. This includes talking and singing to your child during infancy to encourage him to imitate sounds, reading to your child beginning at six months, talking often with your child throughout the day and using everyday, simple language to reinforce his speech and language skills.
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Tips & Warnings
Not only must parents carefully observe their child to determine if she requires additional support to help her speak, but they must also play an integral role in treatment approaches. Parents' ongoing involvement will undoubtedly strengthen the child's communication abilities and help her to feel more connected to the world in which she lives.
References
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