Speech or Language Delay: What are the signs to look out for?
Every child is expected to reach certain developmental milestones within a period of time. The general language milestones include infants making babbling sounds, 12 to 18 months babies producing simple words such as “mama”, toddlers talking two-word sentences like “want cookie” etc.
A speech or language delay occurs when your child is unable to meet the language developmental milestones for their corresponding age.
As a result of which they may have trouble expressing themselves or understanding others. This delay can be caused due to varying reasons of hearing, speech, and cognitive impairments.
Parents must look out for the signs of speech or language delay and consult the best speech therapy centre in Umm Al Quwain for early intervention.
Here are some of the most visible signs of speech or language delay:
- Preferring gestures over vocalization by the age of 18 months
- Reluctance to talk by the age of 2 years
- Inability to speak in short sentences by the age of 3 years
- Shows difficulty in following directions and instructions
- Poor pronunciation or articulation of words and sounds
- Difficulty in putting words together in a sentence
- Skipping words out of a sentence
- Repeatedly using the same sounds and words, neglecting others
- Imitates actions but not sounds
- Not making babbling sounds by the age of 15 months
If parents tend to notice a combination of the above-mentioned symptoms or signs, it is better to consult an expert speech therapist.
The speech therapy centre in Ras Al Khaimah will perform comprehensive assessments on the child’s expressive and receptive language to determine speech or language delay.
If diagnosed, they will provide parents with professional guidelines and full-on support in further therapy sessions.
