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Language and Conversational Problems
Concerning About Child's Language Development Parents listen as their child talks, and they observe how he or she interacts with peers and other adults. They also listen to their friend's child talk. They may even be able to remember how older siblings or other relatives talked at the same age. Before long, parents are consciously or subconsciously comparing their child's language skills with the skills of these other children, and the end result is an impression of whether or not language is developing at a normal rate. If they sense that their child's language development is slow, parents may check this out with other parents, relatives, or their pediatrician. If you are worried, seek the advice of a speech-language pathologist. A speech and language evaluation can determine whether language skills are developing normally, and whether or not professional intervention is needed. How long should you wait before seeking professional help from a speech-language pathologist? You will not know for sure. However, early diagnosis and treatment for language problems increases the chances of improvement than simply "waiting it out" and treating any problem later. When is a good time to seek help? A good time to seek advice is when you are concerned. If you are worried about any aspect of your child's speech and language development, share your concerns. It may be useful to talk to your GP, Health Visitor or your child's teacher. Getting advice from professionals may: • Reassure you - if your child has minor difficulties that can be helped easily, or if your child's speech and language development is fine • Give you more ideas of ways to help your child's speech and language development • Lead to the right kind of help, if your child is having particular difficulties with their speech, language or communication. Here are some ideas to help: • Make a note of the sorts of things your child is having difficulty with. • Help your child to develop and maintain their confidence. Supporting their attempts and celebrating their successes can help keep a child confident. • Talk to your child's playgroup, nursery or school. They can be aware of your child's needs and support them well. They can also tell you what your child is doing and learning and any ways you could support this at home. Language Problem If parents think that speech and language development is slow, they may check out their impression with other parents, relatives, or their pediatrician. Perhaps your child has some problems in speaking. What should parents do? Although the stages that children pass through in the development of speech and language are very consistent, the exact age when they hit these milestones varies a lot. There are, however, certain factors that may increase the risk that a late-talking child in the 18- to 30-month-old age range, and with normal intelligence, will have continuing language problems. These factors include: * Receptive language: Understanding language generally precedes expression and use. * Use of gestures: Children with a greater number of gestures used for different communication purposes are more likely to catch up with peers. * Age of diagnosis: Remember that a language delay may be more serious. * Progress in language development: Although a child may be slow in language development, he or she should still be doing new things with language at least every month. New words may be added. It should be re-emphasized that negative aspects of these factors increase the risk of a true language problem but do not mandate its presence. On the other hand, children on the positive side of these factors may turn out to show less progress than predicted. Individual children may not behave like children in a group. Group data can only be used to predict what most children who are very similar to the children in a study might do. Special Help Parents don' t have to rely on the predictions of others or to guess that their child will be just like a friend' s and eventually catch up in language development. If parents are concerned about their child's speech and language development, they should see a speech-language pathologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for a professional evaluation. The speech-language pathologist can administer tests of receptive and expressive language, analyze a child's utterances in various situations, determine factors that may be slowing down language development, and counsel parents on the next steps to take. The speech-language pathologist may give suggestions on stimulating language development, and ask that the parent and child return if parental concern continues. Become involved in an early intervention program. The programs typically consist of demonstrating language stimulation techniques for home use, and more frequent monitoring of the child's progress. Terms relating to speech, language and communication difficulties
Treating language difficulties early on can prevent potential problems with behavior, learning, reading, and social interaction.
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