Is your little one late to talk? (Late-Talking Children) Let's be aware of this!

"Mommy... Dad..." These two words are often the first words a baby says. There is no happier day for a mother or father than the day they hear these words. But do you think your little one is talking later than other children his age? It is normal to feel a great burden and worry when that happens. Perhaps you remember your older child saying two- or three-word sentences at this age. Over time, this worry can turn into fear. But in reality, most of the time, there is no reason to worry unnecessarily about this. Each child learns language at their own pace.

What are the important milestones in speech development?

On average, about 15 to 25 out of 100 children experience some form of communication difficulty. Boys take a little longer to develop their speaking skills than girls. But in general, we should pay attention to a child's speech development.

Let's take a look at how language skills develop as a child grows. While these are average levels, it's important to remember that not all children are the same.

The difference between understanding and speaking

Some children may be late in speaking (Expressive Language), but they may have good receptive language. Imagine, when you say 'bring the toy', the baby goes and gets it, even though he can't speak. That means he can understand things. If a child is late in speaking but can understand what you say, that's a very good sign. That means there is less chance of a major developmental problem.

What are the reasons for late speech?

The number of children who are late to speak has been increasing recently. One of the main reasons for this may be chronic ear infections. Ear infections can cause hearing loss. When hearing is impaired, it also becomes difficult to learn to speak. Since many children today go to places like `day-care`, there is a greater chance of catching diseases from other children and getting ear infections.

Additionally, some children may have a genetic predisposition to delayed speech development , and environmental factors also play a role.

When should we think more about this? - Risk factors

Although each child's development is different, there are certain things we should be aware of. These are what we consider to be risk factors:

• Making sounds in the first year: Many babies start making sounds like 'bu boo' and 'ga ga' in the first year. If making these sounds is limited, it is something to pay attention to.
• Not imitating: If the baby doesn't imitate when mom and dad say "mama" and "dada," that could also be a danger sign.
• Pronunciation of some letters: If a young child is not pronouncing letters like 'ல', 'ர', 'ச' clearly, don't worry too much about it. Some children may not be able to pronounce these letters correctly until they are about 7 years old. However, if those letters are in the child's name (e.g. "Ravindu", "Lasanda") and the child is socially withdrawn and reluctant to say their name, then you need to think about it.

What do you do if you need help?

If you are concerned that your child is late in speaking, the best thing to do is to see your family doctor (pediatrician). He or she can examine your child and refer you to a speech-language pathologist if necessary.

A speech therapist will assess your child's abilities and teach you, as a parent, ways to help improve your child's speaking skills.

Sometimes, if the doctor has doubts about the child's hearing, he or she may refer the child to an audiologist for a hearing test. Even in Sri Lanka, some children may have some degree of hearing impairment.

It scares me when I hear someone say, 'Don't worry, it'll be okay when it grows up.' Because without properly examining the child, we can't tell if that's true.

Things we can do at home to help our baby talk

In addition to medical advice, as parents, you can do many things to improve your child's speech skills.

• Talk to your child often: When bathing, changing, or feeding your child, tell them what you are doing. For example, say things like, "Look, Mommy is opening the fridge. Let's get something to eat."
• Speak simply and clearly: If your child speaks in two words, you should speak in three- or four-word sentences. But don't embarrass him by suddenly speaking complex sentences.
• Speak in a soothing tone: Babies pay more attention and try to imitate when you speak in a slightly higher, loving, soothing tone ('motherese' or baby talk).
• Sing songs, read books: From a very young age, teach your child songs, show them pictures in books, and read them stories. This is a great way to increase their vocabulary.

A child's development is a beautiful journey. The most important thing is not to panic about small problems like these that arise during that journey, but to understand them correctly and seek medical advice when necessary.

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