Delayed speech:
It is the situation where babies/children cannot say sounds, syllables and words in accordance with their birth age.
Example: They cannot say any syllables around the age of 12 months
Not being able to say "mom, dad" around 15-18 months
Not being able to say any words around 2 years of age
Not being able to form any sentences around 3-4 years of age
In such cases Since "delayed speech" may occur; These babies and children need to be evaluated in detail.
What are the causes:
There may be various reasons for speech delays in childhood. Children in this situation should be evaluated by a "Pediatrician" and "ENT specialist" respectively. During the examination, ear and intraoral structures; The tongue, throat and larynx should be seen to be normal. Hearing loss, which is the first and most important cause, must be tested. Children diagnosed with hearing loss should be appropriately rehabilitated. Those with normal hearing should definitely be seen by a "Pediatric Neurologist". Autism should not be overlooked in these children. An underlying disease may not be found, and in some families there may be genetically delayed speech for which the cause cannot be determined.
The importance of language and speech therapy:
It would be very useful for such children to be included in a speech therapy program. Thus, the development of speech abilities is accelerated, thus preventing delays in mental development and socialization.
Read: 0
