If your child's speech is not developing as quickly as it should be, you should talk to your doctor about this concern. Your doctor will probably ask you a series of questions relating to the child's speech, and these questions are designed to see if your child has reached the normal milestones for kids his or her age. If your child is not meeting these milestones, there is a chance that he or she may have a speech delay, and here are a few things to understand about this.
Milestones Are Just Averages
The first and most important, thing you should know is that milestones are just averages. They are not set in stone, and they do not reflect every child's development. Some kids are simply more prone to speak faster than others, and other kids can just have some problems trying to coordinate their mouths and tongues to make the sounds of the alphabet. You should not automatically assume that there is a major problem with your child if he or she is not reaching the milestones the doctor talks to you about.
Your Child Will Need a Speech Evaluation
If your child's pediatrician agrees that the child seems to have a delay in speech, the doctor will refer you to a speech therapist. A speech therapist is a person who works with people of all ages to help them with speech issues. In some cases, people will have major speech problems that they will never fully be able to overcome. In other cases, people just need some extra help with speech, and this is enough to help them learn how to make the right sounds.
Through an evaluation by a speech therapist, you can find out what types of speech issues your child has, and you can also find out how the therapist wants to treat the problem.
Your Child May Need Speech Therapy
If the therapist determines that there is definitely a speech delay, your child will need to start attending speech therapy. Through speech therapy, your child can work independently with a therapist, and the therapist will focus on the exact issues your child needs to overcome. This is often accomplished through playing and repetition of sounds. It is not something that offers instant results, but it can be very helpful in the long run.
If you have concerns about your child's speech or anything else, contact a pediatrician office like Kids Choice Pediatrics today to talk to someone about the concerns that you have.
