What are some of the common causes of speech and language delay?
A: Causes of speech language delay could be congenital or acquired. Congenital developmental causes include cerebral palsy, hearing loss, cleft lip and palate, genetic disorders (Down syndrome, fragile x syndrome, etc), articulation disorders due to oral structural defects, cognitive impairment, etc. Acquired causes include hearing loss, language delay due to lack of environmental stimulation, voice disorders, acquired neurological conditions, etc.
Some disorders can be caused due to genetic/ congenital as well as environmental factors. An example of this is Autism Spectrum Disorders. Hearing loss can also be congenital or acquired.
I have a newborn. Could you please brief me about the normal speech language milestones?
A: From 0-3 months, babies will be communicating through crying. The next step will be cooing, gurgling and laughing. Between 6 and 9 months, babies babble in syllables and they start imitating tones and some speech sounds. By 12 months, a baby’s first words usually appear. However, some babies speak their first meaningful word by 10 months and by 18 months to 2 years children use around 50 words and will start putting two words together. From 2-3 years, sentences extend to four and five words.
My one-year-old is not responding to name calls. What should I do?
A: It could be because of hearing loss. So you have to consult an audiologist and get his hearing checked. If his hearing is within normal limits and he is still not responding, along with lack of social smile and eye contact you have to be extra careful and start seeking help from a professional.
My child says letters and numbers but he is not communicating. Why is it so?
A: It could be because of the increased screen time exposure, from where your child might have learnt those letters and numbers. You should gradually stop it. Make him engaged in normal communication through modelling, play, etc. Provide opportunities for him to communicate and spend quality time with your child.
My 3.6-year-old kid is not speaking clearly. Often we make him repeat the words he said.
A: You should consult a speech language pathologist to find out the reason for this. They will check your child’s oro-motor skills. Some children cannot speak clearly due to some structural causes as in tongue tie, tongue thrust, etc. Speech clarity issues are seen in kids with hearing loss, neurological damage, cleft lip and palate, etc. Also, we should be aware about the normal phonological development. During the developmental period, typically developing children simplify speech as they are learning to talk and hence exhibit patterns of sound errors called phonological processes. Since kids don’t have the ability to coordinate their lips, tongue, teeth, palate and jaw for clear speech, they do these.
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Answers provided by: Merlin Thankam Thomas,
Senior speech and language therapist
QISH, Doha
