When Should You Worry If Your Child Is Not Talking
Is your child not talking yet? Having developmental and congenital disabilities? Then, it would be best if you were worried about it, but worrying won’t help at all. At least there are things that could be done or have to be done to prevent such. So When Should you worry if Your child is not talking as a parent or guardian?
Let’s start on “what childhood is”
As it is, Childhood is one of the postnatal stages a growing human must pass through. It begins from the second to the twelfth year, meaning this period extends from the beginning of the second to the twelfth year.
Therefore, it is expected for a child to have been talking, i.e. (having a clearer speech), since the onset of having completed its infancy stage(a period that extends from birth to year 1).
Right after birth, there is usually a great bond between a mother and her child, so strong that she is being able to perceive the needs and wants of the baby when necessary, including the emergency needs like; wanting to poo, wanting to empty his or her bladder, not wanting to take a particular feed for a specific moment, even the constant cry of the baby, she can determine the reason why due to strong instincts.
let’s say the baby cries not because of food, it could be mild rashes and irritation on the baby’s skin, etc., and then she takes care of it with immediate effect.
So, this perception goes on and on between the mother and child at each stage of the baby’s development. The due expectancy of every stage of the baby’s development concerning activities that denotes the baby is growing and healthy is being spied from afar off by the mother.
Things like being able to have started crawling at the 6th-10th months (which varies in some male and female babies). Some say it’s earlier for a male than a female, right before that, the ability to have been able to hold head firmly, and tilting when necessary, which occurs around 2months in some babies, later in being able to sit up having achieved the former(with consistent practice and support).
In fact, some babies omit the crawling stage and go on straight into standing, but this can have an aftereffect later.
So between 9-12 months, it is possible for a baby to have started walking! While in some, it takes longer than that.
Following all these stages and kick-starting the”childhood stage,” the baby should have been able to have started talking (communication through speech).
When should you worry if your child is not talking
It would therefore break the mother’s heart, seeing that her child is not able to talk at that stage of development.
People might want to help by saying things like “it’ll get normal soon,” “it’s just a matter of time,” or “there are some babies that have gone through this and come out of it successfully,” some may say, “oh, I was like this at such a stage too.” All these hold up the mother’s worries, but at times it can’t be helped.
Even some pediatricians might find it hard to take it lightly with the mother of the child. Hence much effort and assistance are needed.
So, medical attention may be needed urgently in such a case, and the body in charge of dealing with the care of children in health and diseases is called “pediatrics.”
Now, imagine a child who’s started kindergarten already that does not talk; this would make the teacher worried, talk more to the child’s mother, who would be more worried about her child having problems with speech or language development.
In some cases, the child might understand words or language, but the problem then lies in the fact that the child is having a hard time not being able to talk.
But, we should not forget that there’s a need for an earlier routine that is demanded of the mother to her child, for a proper exercise of speech development.
As a mother, you must do well to have been a great back to back follow-up and fast learning human tool for your child right from the early stage of birth, by doing stuff like:
- Replying to your baby from the onset of birth.
- Replying to their baby languages with a smile on your face would show encouragement to the baby.
- Singing encourages and aids the child as well.
- Reading alphabets and figures aloud to your child.
- Buying toys that could aid them in learning as well.
- The use of sign language when necessary too.
Doing all these could at least prevent any disorder unless it’s been inborn.
Following a clinical term, it is called “speech delay.”
What do we call speech delay?
This disorder is mostly associated with the inability of a child not to talk. It is common among children, about 10 to 15 percent.
Early signs to note that are associated with speech delay
- Inability to say familiar words like “mummy” or “daddy” clearly as a year plus.
- Finding it hard to understand simple words too.
- Taking or using small quantities of words by two years of age.
It’s best to look out for factors that could be the cause of these.
Factors responsible for causing Speech disorders in children.
Which could be;
1. Shock effect that may be due to a past accident, in such a case, it’s possible for the child to outgrow it later on
2. Some may be suffering from psychological and social issues.
3. Gene related characterized with such a disorder having been passed from one generation to another
4. Cognitive communication disorder could be intellectual impairment as well
5. Hearing disorder, i.e., deafness
6. Swallowing disorder (Dysphagia)
7. Autism or cerebral palsy
8. Being an incubator baby, i.e., being born prematurely
9. Stammering (a speech disorder associated with the disruption of a speech by involuntary repetitions and prolongation of sounds, syllables, words, and phrases).
10. Ignorance or lack of proper attention to the child right from birth by the mother.
It is also essential that mothers breastfeed their baby for 6months or about; some even take longer before they stop as this breast milk helps in congenital development of the brain for the growing child.
Sign language too, very essential
Even with or without taking their child for speech therapy, most mothers would still not be convinced but only if there’s going to be an improvement in doing so.
However, it’s reasonable and necessary to take your ward or child for speech therapy!
At least with the possible training exercises, your child would receive during that period, there’s a maximum probability of a clear difference.
A speech-language pathologist is responsible for such.
Who is a speech-language pathologist?
A speech-language pathologist is trained to evaluate and prevent psychological, social, and cognitive impairment in children, even adults. Research shows that these people have a Master’s degree or doctorate in their specialty and a certificate of clinical competence. They also have licensed practitioners.
What they do to help
These set of people put their best in making sure they do all their necessary best by :
1. Use of articulation therapy
2. Through feeding or swallowing therapy
3. Language activities like playing, talking, books etc
4. Through the use of sign language
5. They could as well prescribe a material to the mother of the child who could help.
To bolster some of these points:
Use of articulation therapy
Let’s start with defining “Articulation” which is the quality, clarity, or sharpness of speech. The speech-language pathologist is exercising it to the child because proper articulation aids a child with speech delay. Children living with this disorder find it difficult to make it through in-class or complete classwork, including homework.
Swallowing therapy
The disorder is otherwise known as “Dysphagia.” This therapy aids the child with swallowing difficulty. Therefore, the patient is subdued to exercises that can help improve the normal function of the muscles associated with swallowing. The exercise could as well stimulate the nerves that trigger the swallowing reflex. Food is quite the principal tool for activity.
Through the use of language activities
To improve communication skills, language fun activities like games. e.g., word games that uniquely develop the child’s vocabulary, jokes could also encourage or hasten wordplay. You should bear in mind not to repeat their mispronounced words; instead, make it your priority to give them back in a correct way.
For example, when a child says, “the table is under the shoe”, you correct the child by saying, “the shoe is under the table.” Other fun activities like riddles, rhymes (this promotes memory retention and restores good listening skills), and storytelling make them have a pictorial imagination and hence promote their memory retention and song, tongue twisters, homonyms, and so on.
The use of sign language
As there are alphabets and figures, there are tools that can be used as a sign that represent each of them.
This easily makes the child not forget.
With these, even when you are worried about your child not being able to go through some of the listed measures and preventive measures. There would not be the need for you to worry anymore!
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