Speech Difficulties in Children
What do we call as speech
When we talk about speech, we define it as the articulation or as the pronunciation of the speech sounds. In order to produce the correct speech sounds, we have to coordinate the movement of our oral muscles accurately.
The ability to produce speech sounds correctly is very important for the acquisition of language in children because speech sounds are the building block for language. We use a particular speech sound to represent a certain meaning. For example, when we say “balls”, we add the /s/ sound to the word “ball” to mean that there are more than one ball. If a child cannot produce the /s/ sound correctly, he will not be able to produce the correct grammar in his sentences. Moreover, if a child cannot produce the correct speech sounds for certain words, he may not be able to get his message across to others. Frustration may result and the child may be less motivated to communicate with others. The parents may not be able to provide adequate feedback to the children on their language as well.
What do we mean when we say ’speech delay’
Like the development of language, individual differences exist between children. Some children may develop speech faster than the others. However, researches found that there are stages at which most of the children would acquire certain speech sounds. Children who have speech production patterns that are similar to normally developing children, but are functionally at a younger age are considered to have speech delay. Children who have unclear speech and error pattern that are different from normally developing children are considered to have speech disorder.
Check out your child’s current level of speech function
The following gives you some idea on how speech develops in children.
Speech sound development follows a predictable pattern. By the age of five, children should be easy to understand and make only a few errors.
Reference:
Sen, P. & Vasudeva, R. (2002). No More Baby Talk: A Parent’s Guide to Speech and Language Development. Singapore: Longman.
Sipley, k. G. & McAfee, J. G. (2004) Assessment in Speech-Language Pathology: A Resource Manual (3rd Ed). USA: Thomson Learning
No matter what level your child is currently functioning, specially designed speech therapy can help your child development speech better and faster. Contact RASSW for more information.
Why is it important to identify and treat early?
It is important to identify children with speech delay or disorders and provide appropriate treatment early.
The ability to speak clearly will affect the child’s acquisition of language and literacy skills. For example, a child may have difficulty producing speech sounds at the ends of words (e.g. /d/) and therefore cannot produce the past tense -ed correctly. This not only affects the clarity of his speech and his communication with others, but also his ability to use grammatical correct sentences. When these children go to school, they may find it difficult to understand the grammatical knowledges which facilitate their reading and writing ability. This may result in poor academic results.
Speaking clearly is also very important for a child’s interpersonal and emotional development. With clear speech, the child will be able to express his ideas and engage in conversational exchanges with others. They can share with others their feelings and also develop friendship with their classmates. For a child with speech delay or disorders, however, the ability to relate to the others and to express oneself may be impaired. The child may be aware of his articulation problems and may shy away from the others. They may also have difficulty blending in with other children because of their different speech pattern.
Therefore, if you suspect that your child is having speech delay or disorders, you may need to consult a speech-language therapist early for an assessment. Contact RASSW for more information.
