- Reading and listening comprehension
- Word-finding problems
- Speech and Writing Skills
- Problem Solving and reasoning
- Social Pragmatic Skills
Speech Delays/Disorders
Parents often become concerned when their child is isn't
talking, yet other children their age are. Although there is no
exact time table for speech development, a parent should
probably seek a professional evaluation for their child if they
are not speaking by age 2. Most children develop their first
word/words by around 12-18 months. Most 2-21/2 year olds use
2-word utterances on average (i.e., want cookie) and have a
vocabulary of at least several hundred words. Children with a
history of ear infections/ear fluid problems are at higher risk
for speech problems, as are boys. Parents know their children
best. When a parent has a gut feeling that "something just isn't
right" they often have valid concerns. The earlier problems are
identified, the quicker and the better the prognosis for a
child.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a disorder of the nervous
system that affects the ability to sequence and say sounds,
syllables, and words. It is not due to the muscular weakness or
paralysis. The problem is in the brain's planning to move the
tongue, lips, jaw etc.. for purposes of speech. The child is
aware what he or she wants to say, but the brain is not sending
the correct instructions to move the body parts for speech the
way they need to be moved.
Signs of Verbal Apraxia (also referred to as Childhood Apraxia
of Speech)
In Very Young Children:
The child:
- does not coo or babble as an infant
- produces only a few different consonant sounds
- unsuccessful at combining sounds
- produces first words after some delay, but these words are missing sounds
- simplifies words by replacing difficult sounds with easier ones or by deleting sounds
- may have feeding problems
In Older Children:
The child:
- has difficulty imitating speech
- can understand language much better than he or she can produce it
- makes inconsistent sound errors often
- has difficulty saying longer phrases than shorter ones
- appears to be worse when anxious
- is hard for listeners to understand.
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Speech & Learning Connections is located in
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