How do I know if my child needs Speech Therapy?
A speech and language delay/disorder that isn't treated early can result in life-long communication problems as well as learning and reading difficulties. If you suspect your child may have a speech and/or language problem, we recommend an evaluation by one of our therapists.
Here are some examples of issues that should be evaluated by a therapist:
Some medical conditions that may require speech therapy include, but are not limited to:
Here are some examples of issues that should be evaluated by a therapist:
- Not reacting normally or consistently to sounds (she may be overly sensitive to sounds such as vacuums or hair dryers yet seems indifferent when people call her name)
- Mispronouncing vowels, saying "coo" instead of "cow"
- Talking using mostly vowels, omitting whole consonants, saying "a" for "cat"
- Using one catch-all sound or syllable to name most things (duh or duh-duh is a common one)
- Using a word once and then not using it again
- Not pointing to objects in books (if you say, "Show me the kitty cat," she flips the page or repeats the phrase but doesn't point to the animal)
- Not seeming frustrated when you don't know what she wants (she may simply try to get the object herself or just give up very easily)
- Answering a question by repeating part of your question. If you say, "Do you want milk?" she responds by saying, "...you want milk?" instead of nodding her head or saying yes
- Not saying "bye-bye" or reacting to games such as peekaboo
- Still saying single words only, and not phrases or sentences
- Not changing or developing her language much from month to month
Some medical conditions that may require speech therapy include, but are not limited to:
- Hearing impairment
- History of ear infections
- Weak muscles around the mouth
- Cleft lip or palate
- Autism
- Cerebral palsy
- Multiple handicaps
- Swallowing disorder
- Apraxia of speech