Speech Disorders in Children

Cute hands, little feet, and the entire journey of watching your little one grow into a beautiful human being is a phase you never wish to grow out of. But it isn’t always fun and games, right? It gets more complicated when your child stumbles on the growth milestones that may seem normal for others to achieve. One such milestone is the ability to communicate or have a speech disorder. 

Human beings are social animals, and the major mode of their healthy survival is communication. These days, various kinds of speech disorders may occur in children. Research says that approximately 5% of children entering the first standard may have trouble speaking or certain communication disorders that many may not know about. Let’s read about them in detail. 

What Is A Speech Disorder?

Simply put, speech disorder is a condition in which the child’s tongue, jaw, and mouth do not work in coordination to form words or sentences that can be easily understood or recognized. If not treated for a prolonged period of time, your little one might have trouble reading or writing. 

Different speech disorders may affect your child’s growth and developmental stages. With speech therapy, we can make it easier for our little munchkins to make this learning phase fun, happy, and thoughtful. It is usually said that kids with speech impediments may have trouble getting along in a social environment.

Types Of Speech Disorder

Kids aged 0-5 years have a lot going on in their minds. They are eager to explore, and when communication becomes a barrier, it hurts and affects their self-confidence. Here are some of the significant speech disorders you should know of:

• Tongue-tie: Tongue-tie, or Ankyloglossia, is a specific physical condition that children may suffer from. It makes it difficult for them to move their tongues and communicate effectively. 

• Stuttering: A speech disorder that makes it difficult to speak fluently is known as stuttering. When these interruptions happen more often, they may cause trouble for the speaker. 

• Apraxia: When there is a lack of coordination between the nervous system and the brain, especially while communicating through words or sentences, despite understanding the command, the condition is known as Apraxia. 

• Articulation errors: When the child cannot form the sounds of speech because he/she is unable to place the tongue in the right place. For instance, lisping can be considered an example of an articulation error. 

• Selective mutism: In this disorder, the baby or child becomes very anxious in a particular environment, making him/her unable to speak or communicate. 

Causes Of Speech Disorder

Speech disorders can have several causes. These can include hereditary issues as well as developmental delays in children. Some of the most common causes include:

• Dyslexia: This learning disorder makes it difficult to read or write due to major speech identification problems. Help is needed in identifying speech sounds and relating them to words and sentences. 

• ASD: It stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder. This speech disorder makes it difficult for people with it to interact socially and interpret both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. 

• Hearing loss: One of the most common forms of congenital disorders is hearing loss. It can happen due to various reasons, such as damage to the inner ear or excessive exposure to loud noises. 

• Cerebral palsy: It is a combinative result of several conditions that affect the coordination of the brain and the movement of various muscles in the body. Damage occurs to the developing brain and may occur at birth, while the symptoms vary from mild to severe.

Developmental Assessment For Speech Disorder

Speech disorder may seem like an irrecoverable issue, but therapy can help a great deal in overcoming it. Just like there are variants of this disorder and the causes are different for every kid, the solutions vary too. For some, psychotherapy may be a great option, but other parents may go for simple counselling. 

But before you switch to the therapy method that suits you and your child’s growth and development, your child needs to undergo a developmental assessment carried out by child-psychiatric experts or clinical psychologists of children. This child-friendly process helps diagnose the causes and symptoms of speech disorders or any other troubles your little one faces. 

Additional Benefits Of A Developmental Assessment

Apart from enabling the smooth growth and development of your little one, a detailed developmental assessment benefits your little bundle of joy in more ways than one. Here’s how:

• Comprehensive: The assessment is performed in a detailed manner at the clinic of your preference. From listing down traits, attitudes, and behaviors to understanding their underlying causes, it is a simple yet comprehensive approach. 

• Creative: While the test is intricate, it is an innovative way to help you understand your baby without any complexities. It may involve choosing colors or any activity that interests your little one. 

• Conclusive: The whole assessment helps you understand your child’s areas of strength, growth milestones, areas of improvement, and many other areas, allowing you to streamline their results conclusively.

Summing It Up

Speech disorders can have a huge impact on a child’s ability to communicate effectively, affecting various aspects of daily life and interpersonal interactions. Identifying the signs of speech disorders and seeking early diagnosis are important steps towards addressing these challenges. Early detection allows timely intervention and treatment, significantly improving the outcomes. Through the expertise of BabyMD’s speech-language therapists and multidisciplinary collaboration, children with speech disorders can receive targeted therapy and support, ultimately improving the their overall quality of life.