When to Seek Speech Therapy for Your Child

Language and speech development plays an essential role in your child’s growth and development. While many disorders and incidents can lead to speech issues, it is not uncommon for non-disordered children to seek speech therapy to improve how they speak, understand, or even read. When it comes to speech development, early intervention is best for combatting any speech issues.

In this guide, we’ll learn about tracking your child’s speech development, when to intervene with speech therapy, and what conditions may lead to speech development issues. By knowing the speech and language milestones your child should be hitting, you will be a more-equipped parent to spot issues early on and take action with speech therapy.

The Importance of Speech and Language Development

Early childhood is such a critical time for a child’s speech and language development. Children are regularly exposed to speech, language, sights, and sounds from infancy to three-year-old ages. These exposures play a crucial role in their own speech development as they move from cooing babies to echoing their parents’ sounds.

Without proper exposure to language during this critical period, children will have difficulty developing their speech, especially as they age past three years old. Take note of how changing your daily routines can positively impact your child’s speech and language development.

Early Signs of Speech and Language Issues

Spotting and mitigating speech and language issues early on is vital in repairing these developmental communication tools. Speaking and language issues in young children will only worsen if left unattended. As children enter preschool, communicating, and interacting with teachers and other children will prove difficult. This communication gap can be challenging and frustrating for children. If your child has ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or another speaking disorder or condition preventing their speech and language development, you can take action by seeking the counsel of a speech therapist.

If your child is exhibiting any of these signs, it may be time to talk to a speech pathologist:

• Stuttering
• Unclear speech
• Difficulty with pronunciation
• Only speaking a select few words
• Unintelligible words

If your child is hearing impaired or has ASD, they are more likely to experience speech and language development issues. Learn how speech and language therapy intervention can aid speech disordered or ASD children with their speech and language developmental issues.

Seeking Speech Therapy for Your Child

Your child doesn’t need to have overt speech issues for you to seek speech therapy. Speech therapy can assist in better articulation, fluency, and resonance when speaking. If your child is experiencing any range of speech processing, it may be time to seek the counsel of a speech and language pathologist in ABA therapy. Blossom Children’s Center offers speech therapy to encourage language and speech development in young children.

Early childhood development plays such a critical role in your child’s speech and language understanding and development. Whether your child has a disorder or is neurotypical, spotting the signs of speech issues early on is critical in an intervention. A speech therapist can also help answer any speech and language questions you might have relating to your child’s development.