It’s tempting to think of child development as a linear trend that progresses upward, but the truth is that’s not always the case. There are many children that instead develop in leaps and bounds, often at inconsistent intervals.
With small children, these developmental inconsistencies often manifest in the form of communication. Many children take longer to start talking, which alarms parents. That’s where speech therapy can help.
But what causes speech delay, and how can speech therapy help?
Keep reading to learn about how different speech therapy activities can help your child.
What Is Speech Delay?
Speech delay is exactly what it sounds like—when your child doesn’t develop language skills at a “normal” rate. While it might give parents cause to worry, the truth is that it affects around 10% of preschoolers.
It’s also important to remember that speech delay has no correlation to intelligence. In fact, Albert Einstein didn’t start speaking until he was three!
Instead of worrying, make a point to learn more about speech delay, and if necessary, seek help from a speech pathologist.
How to Identify It
Some parents can have a hard time determining if their child is a “late-bloomer”, or if there’s a deeper problem. Again, speech therapy placement services will be able to get to the root of any issue.
However, there are some signs of speech delay that you can watch out for. Consider speech therapy when:
- Your child isn’t gesturing at 12 months
- Your child still prefers to gesture at 18 months
- Your child struggles with sound imitation at 18 months
- Your child can’t produce words or phrases at 2 years
What Is Speech Therapy?
If you suspect that your child has some level of speech delay, children’s speech therapy is one of the best ways to combat it.
Speech therapy is where a professional diagnoses and treats speech delay problems. Although they often work with kids, older adults may also work with a speech pathologist after an event like a stroke.
Speech therapy activities for kids are great ways to get them talking. Speech pathologists can work with children to resolve all sorts of problems, regardless of where they come from.
The Benefits of Speech Therapy
The benefits of speech therapy are numerous and well-documented. Many studies point to how it can help children overcome speech delay.
Over the short term, your children will develop proper conversational skills, begin to express themselves, and begin to understand different social cues. It also helps with non-verbal communication.
Speech therapy activities for toddlers can also eliminate anxiety and build confidence, as well as help children get over stutters. All of these benefits help create articulate children that can better relate with others.
Take Advantage of Different Speech Therapy Activities
If you’re worried about the development of your child, don’t be. Everyone develops at a different rate, and that’s normal!
However, if you want to give your child an extra push, consider getting some professional help. A speech pathologist can guide them through different speech therapy activities to help them communicate.
Do you know how to have a better understanding of how speech therapy activities for children can help them out? If you do, take some time to check out some of our other posts for more helpful guides and tips!
