5 Common Causes of Speech and Language Problems in Children + Remedies

Children usually develop at their own pace, some slower or faster than others. There are some critical factors that can cause a significant and sometimes dangerous delay in the developmental capacity of a child’s speech and language.

Here are some common factors that cause speech and language problems for children:

1. Hearing loss

This is a very common cause of delayed speech and language development in children.

Children learn speech and language from listening to other people talk. The first few years of life are especially critical for this development. If a hearing loss exists, a child does not get the full benefit of language learning experiences. Some signs include:

• Inattentiveness
• Wanting the television or radio louder than usual
• Misunderstanding directions
• Listlessness
• Unexplained irritability
• Pulling or scratching at the ears

2.Autism

This condition affects communication. Usually, speech, language and communication problems are associated with autism in children. Your child may not really speak actual words and may only babble or make noises or odd sounds. He may say some words sometimes, but would repeat the same words or phrases over and over (echolalia) and not imitate new words. He may say a word once and you never hear it again, or your child may have used a few words for a bit and then forgotten the words and does not use them anymore. He may use unusual voice tones, such as a sing-song voices, robot-like voices or growling voices.

3. Extreme Abuse

If a child is neglected or abused, this can lead to speech and/or language delay. Also if a child is often isolated from other children, he may not learn to speak since he cannot hear others speak.

4. Cleft Lip

Cleft lip is a birth defect that occurs when a baby’s lip or mouth does not form properly. This happens early during pregnancy. A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. This causes an opening in the upper lip. The opening can be a small slit or a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose. It can be on one or both sides of the lip or, sometimes, in the middle of the lip. This often poses a problem with feeding, speech and also communication. Surgery is the best way to reverse this birth defect.

5. Selective Mutism

This is a condition in which a child will not talk at all. Health wise, the child is very okay, but just decides to be mute. Most often these cases happen in places like school or play group classes. A selective mute child will experience speech delay because he is not using new words heard or taught.

How To Help 

• Explain what the child is going through to them. Advice and reassurance involving the child’s pediatrician also helps
• A referral for speech therapy may be required. The effectiveness of therapy however depends on the cause of the speech delay
• Multi-disciplinary involvement may be required and the involvement of the parent is required
• Talk a lot to your child.  Tell them what you are doing as you do it
• Look at family photos and talk about them.
• Answer your child every time they speak—this rewards them for talking
• Ask your child lots of questions
• Use gestures along with words
• Don’t criticize grammar mistakes.  Instead, just model good grammar
• Play with your child one-on-one, and talk about the toys and games you are playing
• Follow your child’s lead, so you are doing activities that hold their interest as you talk
• Have your child play with kids whose language is a little better than theirs

 

THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN VOLUME 6. ISSUE 1 OF  MOTHERHOOD-IN-STYLE MAGAZINE