04/03/2024
Reasons for Child Speech Delays and Language Disorders
General Speech-Language Delay. This is
one of the most easily-remedied conditions, occurring simply when a child is not keeping developmental pace with their peers. It’s often a temporary situation, addressed with therapy and carryover in other settings (home, school, etc.). Most can catch up in relatively short order.
Expressive Language Disorders. Here, a child’s cognition is typical, but he/she may have trouble expressing language effectively. Speech therapy is very effective treatment.
Receptive Language Disorders. With these conditions, the child has trouble comprehending what is being said. Their words may not be clear and they may not use many. They have problems following directions and linking words to their object meaning. Speech therapy is the most effective treatment, but it often takes longer than others.
Autism. Now diagnosed in 1 in 59 children and 1 in 37 boys in the U.S, autism spectrum disorder involves a number of developmental problems, which do include expressive and receptive language delays. Many also show issues with repetitive activity. Communicating and social interaction are often long-time struggles, but their condition often improves greatly with a combination of early intervention speech, occupational and ABA therapy.
Intellectual disability. Cognitive disability – such as with Down Syndrome or a brain injury – usually involves some form of speech delay or disruption. A full evaluation should be followed by extensive, ongoing treatment by a speech therapist and other professionals.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Children with this condition struggle to make the right sounds for the right words, so their words tend to be impaired and difficult for others to understand. This condition usually requires a comprehensive assessment and a rigorous schedule of speech therapy (sometimes in combination with other therapies) to be effective.
