Developmental milestones: Should you worry about your child’s delayed speech?

Here is what you need to know about your child's delayed speech.

Debjani Arora | Updated: December 22, 2015 7:15 pm

Sometimes your child is exposed to a multi-lingual culture even if you make it a point to follow one particular language, like say English or Hindi to communicate with the child. Don’t forget that your little one would still be exposed to a variety of languages and syllables. She may be picking them up from the maid, the driver, other children in the playgroup or her grandparents. This multilingual exposure can at times make it difficult for your child to pick up speech at the expected pace.

This delay in speech development cannot be regarded as a developmental delay at its onset. The reason being, there is a difference between expressive speech and receptive speech. If your child can express his/her needs through gestures and body languages when spoken to then it is just a matter of time till he/she picks up the words. On the other hand, if your child has problems in interpreting different languages when communicated or delivering words to connect with others beyond the age of two, it could be a warning sign.

How talking starts

Even if you are impatient to hear your baby calling out for you, remember it’s a process, and it takes time for your child to master the art of talking. In fact, there are different stages of speech development, which give you enough clues to understand that your baby is well on track and will soon converse with you. Here are the various stages of speech development:

In the womb: Believe it or not, experts are of the opinion that your child’s sense of speech develops in the womb while her five senses get attuned. As your baby gets used to hearing your heartbeat, she also gets used to listening to your voice and recognising it from her days in your womb. This is the reason many experts and pre-natal coaches urge expectant mothers to talk to their baby-bump, as it helps vocabulary development at very a nascent stages. Here are eight reasons why you should talk to your baby-bump.

Birth to three months: Right after birth, crying is your baby’s only mode of communication. However, during the first three months there should be a lot of variations in the sounds she makes along with varying intonations. This is the first phase of her speech development. She might let out a shrill scream when hungry, a whimpering cry signalling the need to change her diaper and master cute little sounds like gurgles, cooing and sighs as she grows older. Here are six ways to help your baby talk soon.

Four to seven months: At this stage your baby might babble a lot and spurt out words combining a consonant and a vowel like ‘mama,’ ‘baba’ or ‘tata.’ Even if you are delighted to hear these words from her, remember she isn’t able to understand the meaning of these words yet. However, she would be able to respond to her name when called. Talking more to your child during this age would help her pick up new words and also increase her vocabulary.

Eight to 12 months: During this stage your baby should start babbling and cooing a lot more trying to increase her vocabulary and pick up more words. The best way to encourage her is to talk to her more. You can also read books, tell stories and sing songs to achieve the same goals.

12 to 18 months: This is the phase when your baby should be picking up more words and speak two words at a time. She should also know the meaning of the same and point out objects that she tries to express with words. ‘By 18, months your child should be able to make a sentence using two words like, ‘mama come’ or ‘papa sit’,’ says Dr Geetanjali Shah, paediatrician, Mumbai. She also warns that if your child has not picked up any other words except the normal ‘coos’ and ‘ahhs’ beyond 13 months, it’s better to get her checked by a speech therapist. Here are other signs of speech delay you should look for.

Two years: By this time, your child’s vocabulary should be rich with at least 50 words and she would be able to understand most of the languages spoken around if not able to speak them. By this time, your child should be able to talk in sentences comprising of at least three or four words according to Dr Shah.

Three years: Between ages two to three your baby should build on her vocabulary rapidly and learn more new words. By the end of three, years, your child should be able to talk and express herself adequately.

When should you worry?

Many mothers fret over a child’s delayed speech not knowing the warning signs. At this point, keep in mind that every child is different and grows at a different pace. However, there are a few signs that you should look for between 12 and 24 months, to ensure your child doesn’t suffer from developmental delay. The signs are:

• Your child doesn’t use gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye, by 12 months.
• Uses gestures over vocalisations to communicate at 18 months.
• Has trouble imitating sounds by 18 months. This could indicate hearing loss.
• Faces difficulty understanding simple verbal commands.

You should seek an evaluation after age two if:

• Your child can imitate speech or actions but doesn’t produce words or phrases spontaneously.
• Uses only certain sounds or words repeatedly but can’t use oral language to communicate more than his or her immediate needs.
• Has difficulty in following simple directions.
• Has an unusual tone of voice such as raspy or nasal sounding.
• Shows no eye contact when talked too.

What you should do

Look for the problem signs early: You should be more vigilant with toddlers. ‘If by eight or tenth month, you notice that the child is not talking, shows no gesture or objection when touched, doesn’t look for toys when they are hidden or is slowly losing the acquired skills learned over the months, it surely needs medical intervention and could be the first signs of delay in language and speech,’ says Dr Shah.

Consult a speech analysis: If the child refuses to progress beyond ‘coos’ and ‘ahhs’ till 13 month of age, it is wise to meet a speech therapist. ‘At this stage, it is important to look at the birth history of the baby and other physiological or developmental problems that could make speech delayed,’ says Dr Shah.

Talk more often: If your child can communicate using expressions, then try to learn which language your child is comfortable with the help of a speech therapist, especially in a multilingual setup. Then keep talking more in that particular language to initiate speech and language development.

Causes of speech delay
Here are few reasons that could lead to speech delay in your child:

Oral impairment: Sometimes a problem with the tongue, palate or frenulum could limit the movement of the tongue and development of speech.

Neurological disorders: For children suffering from ADHD or Autism, there could be a delay in speech development, as the area of the brain responsible for speech might not be developed enough to function appropriately.

Hearing problems: Most of the time hearing problems are more responsible for delayed speech in toddlers. ‘This is the reason a hearing test is often done to ascertain the cause of delayed speech in children who are over 13 months old,’ says Dr Shah.

Irrespective of the causes if you notice any of the developmental delays in your child it is best to seek expert advice at the earliest.

Image source: Getty Images

Published: April 15, 2015 12:04 pm | Updated:December 22, 2015 7:15 pm

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