Is speech delay in a child is bothering you ?

In typical 12 months, a baby’s first words usually appear, and by 18 months to 2 years, children use around 50 words and will start putting two words together into a short sentence, By age 3, their vocabulary increases to about 1,000 words, and they are speaking in three- and four-word sentences.

If your toddler hasn’t met those milestones, they may have a speech delay. Developmental milestones help track your child’s progress, but they are just general guidelines. Children develop at their own rate. Just need to ASK these simple 2 questions,

1) Does the child hear normally?

2) Does the child answers the simple questions in different ways? Eg by pointing, or gesturing.

And if the answer to both of these questions is in the affirmative then your child could start speaking in a couple of months, it can be, just the child is among those late bloomers who are preparing to launch with boom!! 

A speech delay can also be due to hearing loss or underlying neurological or developmental disorder.

Tracking speech development milestone

In 1-3months Speech and language skills begin with cooing and crying.

At 4-6 months the baby sigh, grunt, gurgles, squeal, laugh and make different crying sounds. By 12 months, the baby’s first word usually appears. 

By 2 yrs of age, children know about 50 words and they start putting two words together and make small sentences.

A typical 3-year-old can, use about 1,000 words, call themselves by name, call others by name, ask questions, tell a story, repeat a nursery rhyme, sing a song

A speech delay is when a toddler hasn’t met typical speech milestones. Children progress on their timeline. Being a little late with conversation doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a serious problem.

Signs of a speech delay

If a baby isn’t cooing or making other sounds at 2 months, it could be the earliest sign of a speech delay. By 18 months, most babies can use simple words like “mama” or “dada.” Signs of a speech delay in older toddlers are:

• Age 2: doesn’t use at least 25 words
• Age 2 1/2: doesn’t use unique two-word phrases 
• Age 3: doesn’t use at least 200 words, doesn’t ask for things by name, hard to understand even if you live with them
• Any age: unable to say previously learned words

Language delay is different from speech delay?

Although the two are often difficult to tell apart — and frequently referred to together — there are some differences between a speech and language delay.

Speech is the physical act of producing sounds and saying words. A toddler with a speech delay may try but have trouble forming the correct sounds to make words. A speech delay doesn’t involve comprehension or nonverbal communication.

In language delay, there are issues with understanding and communicating, both verbally and nonverbally. A child with a language delay may make the correct sounds and pronounce some words, but they can’t form phrases or sentences that make sense. They may have difficulty understanding others.

Children can have a speech delay or a language delay, but the two conditions sometimes overlap.

If you don’t know which one your child may have, don’t worry. It’s not necessary to make a distinction to have an evaluation and start treatment.

On other side the speech delay

What is the cause of speech delay?

A speech delay is when a toddler hasn’t met typical speech milestones. Children progress on their timeline. Being a little late with conversation doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a serious problem.

But speech delays can also tell something about overall physical and intellectual development. Here are some examples.

Problems with the mouth

A speech delay can indicate an issue with the mouth, tongue, or palate. In a condition called tongue-tie, the tongue is connected to the floor of the mouth. This can make it difficult to create certain sounds.

Speech and language disorders

A 3-year-old who can comprehend and nonverbally communicate but can’t say many words may have a speech delay. One who can say a few words but can’t put them into understandable phrases may have a language delay.

Some speech and language disorders involve brain function and may be indicative of a learning disability. One cause of speech, language and other developmental delays is premature birth.

Childhood apraxia of speech is a physical disorder that makes it hard to form sounds in the right sequence to form words. It doesn’t affect nonverbal communication or language comprehension.

Hearing loss

A toddler who can’t hear well, or hears distorted speech, is likely to have difficulty forming words. One sign of it is that your child doesn’t identify a person or object when you name them but does if you use gestures.

However, signs of hearing loss may be very subtle. Sometimes a speech or language delay may be the only noticeable sign.

Lack of stimulation

We learn to speak to get in on the conversation. It is difficult to speek if no body is communicating with you.

Home Environment plays an important role role in speech and language development. Abuse, neglect, or lack of verbal stimulation can keep a child from reaching developmental milestones.

Autism spectrum disorder

Speech problems are many a times seen with an autism spectrum disorder. And its Other signs may include:

• Repeating sentences or words(echolalia)  instead of creating phrases
• repetitive behaviors
• impaired verbal and nonverbal communication
• impaired social interaction
• speech and language regression
•  

Neurological problems

Certain neurological disorders can affect muscles necessary for speech. These include:

• Cerebral palsy 
• Muscular dystrophy
• Brain injury

In the case of cerebral palsy, hearing loss or other developmental disabilities can also affect speech.

Intellectual disabilities

Speech can be delayed due to an intellectual disability. If your child isn’t speaking, it may be a cognitive issue rather than an inability to form words.

Homeopathic treatment for speech disorder in children.

Types of speech disorder include stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria. There are many possible causes of speech disorders, including muscles weakness, brain injuries, degenerative diseases, autism, and hearing loss.

Speech disorders can affect a person’s self-esteem and their overall quality of life. Homeopathic medicines aim at a child’s symptoms individually and in a holistic manner, the homeopathic doctor assesses the level and quality of the child’s symptoms, analyses them and prescribes medicine accordingly. Speech therapy along with homeopathic treatment, can help improve speech and reduce symptoms.