Speech/Language Therapy

Does My Child Need Speech Therapy?

As a parent or guardian, you may be wondering, "Is my child learning to talk on time?" There are a few conditions which might delay language development, such as hearing loss, cleft palate, or delays in development and learning. If you think your child is not learning to talk "on time," the first place to go is to your family physician, who can check for any physical problems affecting speech and communication.

Most children learn to talk in stages, and this is true even for children whose language development is delayed. By three months, your baby will be able to follow you with his/her eyes, and will make cooing noises in response to your voice. Your baby can cry, and will begin imitating m, p, and b sounds. By six months, your child will turn his/her head toward a sound, will respond to his or her own name, and will understand some words that you say, such as "daddy," "bye-bye," or "mama." This is when children learn to vary their tone of voice to express different feelings. By nine months, your child will be able to follow simple directions, such as, "Give me the ball." Your child will babble a number of different syllables, and can ask for toys or food by pointing and making sounds. Your child might make noises to "sing" along with music, and has probably learned how to play peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. By twelve months, your child will understand the word, "no." Your child will try to imitate words, and will say the first two or three real words at this time. Your child will probably wave "bye-bye" when asked to do this, too.

By 18 months, your toddler usually will try to communicate using words. He/she might begin to put words together, but there may be long pauses between the words, such as, "All gone….milk." Your toddler can now point to pictures in a book when you ask, "Where is the ball?" and can point to several body parts when you ask. By 2 years, your child will now recognize many objects and pictures. Your child will use simple two-word phrases, such as, "bye-bye daddy," or "more cookie," and the pauses between words has decreased. By 2½ years, your child will look at a picture book with you, and repeat the names of animals and make animal noises. Your child can now understand pronouns, such as I, me, my, and mine.

By 3 years, your child will understand taking turns when talking, will listen to simple stories, and can follow a two-part direction. Your three-year-old is learning about action words, in order to talk about past experiences as well as what is going on in the present. Now children will use plurals, such as cars, or cookies, and adjectives such as big and little. Your child will ask "what," "where," and "who" questions. Many 3-year-olds will use language imaginatively while playing with dolls and toy animals.

So how can you help your child? When your child is playing, riding in the car, bathing, or doing any favorite activity, talk about what you both are doing. If your child points to a dog, say, "dog." Talk about what a dog sounds like, what a dog likes to do, and what a dog eats. You will need to talk more slowly, so that your child can understand. Stress the words you are teaching your child, by saying these words louder, longer, or in a high voice. Teach your child the names of toys, family members, pets, foods, clothing, and places you visit together. Really listen to what your child has to say, so that he or she learns that language is for communication. Reading to your child every day will help them learn new words. Read the same story over and over again. Talk your way through the book, pointing to the pictures. Say rhyming poems and nursery rhymes to your child, such as "rub a dub dub, three men in a tub…" Sing simple songs with your child. Ask your child to make choices, such as, "Do you want to wear the red shirt or the green shirt?" Limit TV watching time, and make sure the programs will keep your child's interest and will model behaviors for your child that you want to see.

If you are concerned about your child's speech development, you could get your child tested for speech therapy services. A speech therapist is trained to look at all aspects of language and sound development. To obtain testing for your child who is under the age of 3, contact the Broome County Health Department, at the Office of Early Intervention. To obtain testing for your 3 to 5 year-old child, contact the school district where you live. Contact your school's special education office, and tell them you would like testing for speech or language concerns. They will ask you to sign a consent form so that your child can be tested. Sometimes, a speech delay is developmental, which means your child will grow out of it. However, a speech delay can affect your child's ability to learn to read and write. Getting services early can correct many problems and help your child prepare for school and learning.