SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DELAY

By: SANJAY SHAH, MD

The joy of first words from a child’s mouth is unparalleled. Most infants start babbling sounds like “Ba - Da - Ma” at about 6 months of age and progress to put two words together by 22 to 24 months of age. But five percent of two-year-olds will lag significantly behind in language acquisition. Boys are 3 - 4 times as likely to be delayed than girls.

Most children speak their first real words by 12 months of age. Their vocabulary is at least 4-6 words by 15 months, 10-15 words by 18 months and more than 50 words by two years. A two-year-old should be able to put a noun and verb together, like “me go” and “mommy come.” About 75% of what a toddler says should be understood by strangers.

If your child shows signs of language delay, don’t ignore it. Language is the foundation for a child’s confidence, socialization, and ability to learn. Because children with language delay are unable to put their frustration in words, they are more likely to develop behavior problems.

Causes of language delay could be wide and varied. Common causes include repeated ear infections, being the youngest child or one of a twin, or lack of stimulation from caretakers. More serious problems include autism, hearing loss, and mental retardation.

Lots of simple interventions at home can assist in speech development. Toddlers learn language by listening, making a connection, and then repeating what they have just heard. Simply spending time one-on-one will help your toddler’s language ability to grow.

Following are the activities to pursue at home:

1. Read together. Story time helps toddlers connect word to meaning. You don’t

have to read every word on every page. You may just talk about pictures in a

book.

2. Sing songs. It helps them practice new sounds.

3. When your child says “joo,” restate his request using a few more words, “you

want more orange juice?”

4. Point to objects and name them.

5. Draw for toddlers.

6. Avoid using baby talk, but don’t talk in complex sentences either.

7. Above all, make language fun and keep it natural.