What Are Speech Difficulties Kids Have?
In this post, we talk about and answer some of the most common questions that caregivers have about their children’s speech. We answer each of these questions to make sure you get the understanding needed to support your child’s speech skills.
Thinking about Speech Development
Speech difficulties in children happen for different reasons. There are speech sound disorders and delays. We also expect some challenges with certain later sounds, depending on the type of sound and your child’s age. If your child struggles to make certain sounds, a milestone’s chart provides information on the when the sounds usually begin. A milestone’s chart shows what sounds develop at what age.
Some sounds begin very early in development, while others come in later. While useful for getting an idea what sounds are expected at a certain age, milestone charts only provide guidance. Only a pediatric speech therapist can evaluate and diagnose speech difficulties.
Getting started with Knowing Speech Challenges
Feel free to navigate this post to find the questions and answers most relevant to you. We also welcome comments for new questions for upcoming posts. When a parent searches for a speech-language pathologist (SLP), they often experience these concerns. Speech sound disorders may affect many areas of academic and everyday life.
These challenges also occur along with language disorders as well in many cases. For this reason, we suggest observing your child for any difficulties with language use. If language difficulties exist along with speech a speech sound delay, speak with a licensed speech and language therapist to fully support your child’s needs.
How do I know if my child has a speech difficulty?
We describe speech difficulties in several ways. Firstly, observe your child’s speech. What sounds do they have difficulty making? Do the speech challenges only in one situation or all of the time? Is it one sound or several? By answering these questions you gain a better idea of your child’s needs. Speech therapists use this information as well to determine if an evaluation is needed and how to best support your child.
If your child struggles with only one or two sounds, the difficulty may be related just to those sounds. If many sounds are produced incorrectly, the challenge may be more complex. In addition, if the sounds change and are inconsistent, verbal apraxia may play a role. These considerations must be made by a licensed speech specialist, able to diagnose and treat communication challenges.
Understanding Your Child’s Speech
It is also important to think about how much of your child’s speech you understand. We call this intelligibility. Typically parents understand their child better than a relative or stranger would. The more time that is spent hearing their speech, the better it will be understood. However, you may find that you spend a lot of time speaking and listening to your child but still find you have difficulty understanding what is being said. By four years of age, you should understand 100% of what your child says. If you you find you have difficulty understanding their speech, there may be a speech sound delay or disorder.
Sometimes children make sounds without difficulty, but the words come out slow and halting, a sign of stuttering. The information you gather about your child’s speech plays an important role in the speech therapy evaluation process. Also, sharing with your speech therapist when difficulties occur also assist with the assessment. Your therapist uses all the information you share to best support your child.
Why You Should Never Wait and See
Importantly, never wait and see, if you suspect a speech sound disorder. Speech challenges are likely to be improved faster at an earlier age. As children get older, they develop stronger motor patterns, making speech sound remediation more difficult.
Speech difficulties and language challenges may compound, making it harder to learn new skills. Typically, children learn earlier sounds first. Also, children use language skills to learn to language skills. One skill must be learned prior to the next. Academic challenges are likely when children do not build the skills they need to support new emerging skills.
Speech-language pathologists determine if children have a speech sound delay or disorder by performing a comprehensive evaluation.
What is a speech sound disorder?
When a child has difficulty producing speech sounds past the age they are expected to make them, it may be described as a speech sound disorder. Some sounds may be delayed but still fall within an acceptable age range. If there is a delay, there is still time that the child may acquire the sound. However, it is important to make sure that the child is within that range.
One way of determining if your child may need more time to make the sounds they need is to check a milestones chart. However, there are some differences in these charts, as newer and more up-to-date research is published over time. The best option to tell whether there is a speech sound disorder or dealt is to consult with a licensed speech specialist.
What are speech and language difficulties?
Speech and language difficulties are described as any challenge a child may face when making sounds or producing words and sentences. Speech is a broad term that many think of when considering speech challenges. Persons often place most speech challenges under the single word ‘speech.’
When people think of language they sometimes only think of verbal language, meaning spoken words. However, children use language in many different ways. For example, a child who uses an iPAD to communicate uses language, a child who uses sign language is using language. Children use language in writing as well as when signing. When thinking of language, also think of the words used, such as verbs, adjectives, pronouns and prepositions.
Importantly, a child experiencing speech sound difficulties, especially a child who is non-verbal, must receive language support. By supporting language development, you ensure that your child continues to develop their skills even when unable to use words through speech.
Language Needs to Develop Even When There Are Speech Challenges
If your child experiences language difficulties, it is important to make sure they get all the support available to them. If a child has difficulty speaking, that child can still develop language through other means, such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and sign language. Critically, caregivers need to support their child’s language growth even when the child is unable to speak using words or sentences.
If a child is able to form sentences through other means they are developing language. Language skills are critical for children and have significant academic and functional outcomes.
These skills also build upon each other. Every skill learned now will be used later, and any skill not learned now needs to be learned before later skills develop.
What can cause speech difficulties?
Speech sound challenges have different causes. Often there may be a genetic cause, such as having a a family member with a speech sound disorder or there being speech challenges in the family’s history.
Speech difficulties also commonly occur with language difficulties. For this reason, it is critical have all areas of language assessed during a speech and language evaluation, if there are speech difficulties. Speech challenges may also occur alongside other disorders and syndromes, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down syndrome and others.
While these difficulties vary and have different causes, it is important to have a licensed SLP evaluate all skill areas, even those not easily visible or known.
At what age should a child see a speech therapist?
A child should see a speech and language therapist as soon as the parent is concerned about their child’s progress. It is always best to consult with an expert first before waiting or taking other steps.
When thinking about whether your child should see a specialist, look at all of the ways they communicate their wants and needs. Can they communicate their wants and needs? Do they have a way to interact with others? Are they frustrated because they can’t say what they want? Are they struggling to participate in everyday activities?
Steps You Can Take to Get Your Child Support
By asking yourself these questions, you gain a better idea of whether seeing an SLP is the best option for your child. It is always better to get a consultation first. Waiting may result in a loss of time and opportunity to learn needed skills. And skills always build upon each other, meaning that their progress now will affect how they learn later in life.
If your child is motivated in school and does their best, and their teachers see that effort, but the work is still difficult, a language challenge may be the cause. Language disorders may often be overlooked by teachers, since only licensed speech specialists diagnose these disorders
