Just like all other milestones, language skill is also something each kid develops at their own pace. Language delays is the most common kind of communication disorder that kids these days experience. Because of decreasing culture of joint family, both parents working & increasing screen time for kids, the language skills in kids do not match up to the skill appropriate milestones.
The best way to bridge the gap is to identify the signs of language delay on time & start intervention on time. The language delay can be Receptive delay, Expressive delay or a combination of both at times. A receptive delay in language means that kid is unable to understand the language he is communicated in, whether be verbal or non-verbal. An expressive delay is when a child understand the language but is unable to use if himself for communication his thoughts & needs. A combination is when there is a delay in both aspects of language.
Symptoms of Language Delay in kids
The following is a list of the most visible symptoms that parents can identify to know that the child has a language or speech delay.
- Doesn’t start to babble by the age of 6 months
- Doesn’t respond to songs, rhymes, babbles or speech by cooing or babbling by the age of 9 months
- Doesn’t respond when called or imitates sounds by 12 months
- Doesn’t have a vocabulary of at least 4 – 5 words by the age of 18 months
- Doesn’t make a 3 word simple sentence by the age of 2
- Limited or less vocabulary as compared to kids their age
- Has difficulty learning & recalling new vocabulary or words
- Uses certain phrases over & over again while communicating
- May not talk much often but understand what others say
- Has a clear pronunciation & has a vocabulary, but the sentences don’t often make sense
- Seems frustrated in the inability to communicate properly
In case you feel a child has a delay in speech or language, the first thing to be done is to talk to a development pediatrician & get the child assessed. Early intervention can be a blessing & will help child to bridge the gaps faster at an early age. There are also some strategies as parents to ensure they your kids meet their language & speech goals on time. Here are some tips to encourage language development.
Some tips for encouraging language development in kids
- Start talking to your baby from the time they are born
- Respond to your child’s babbling when they are a small baby
- Sing to your baby, not just when they are sleepy but otherwise also
- Answer your child’s questions no matter how silly, when they start to speak and ask questions
- Read books & stories to your child
- If your child watched TV for a while, make the screen watching experience interactive instead of passive
— Shalu Sharma Rathod —
EECE Expert, ProEves