6 Signs Your Child Has a Speech Disorder

6 Signs Your Child Has a Speech Disorder

Are you concerned your child has a speech disorder? While developing a speech disorder is not a common issue, it is one approximately 8 to 9 percent of U.S. children will experience.

In a nutshell, a speech disorder is a condition that causes people to have difficulties creating the sounds necessary to speak. This can be a frustrating disorder for your child and for the people who are trying to understand them. 

There are many types of speech disorders your child can develop. While receiving the diagnosis may come as a surprise, there are several warning signs your child may be developing a speech disorder. 

If your child is having a problem with their speech and you are wondering if they are developing a disorder, here are a few signs to look for. 

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1. Stuttering

One of the most common signs of a speech disorder in children is stuttering. This is a condition that results in a child repeating a word over and over or repeating the first sound of the word over and over. In extreme cases, your child may stop speaking due to stuttering. 

2. Speech Inconsistency 

A clear sign of a speech problem is inconsistency. If you notice your child can say words correctly sometimes but will say them incorrectly other times, there might be a problem. You might also notice your child pauses in the middle of words. 

3. Lack of Babbling

One sign your child may need a speech therapist is if they don’t babble. Babies babble to experiment with sounds as they begin to learn words. If your child is not babbling, consider speech therapy

4. Hearing Loss or Disorder

If your child has hearing loss or a hearing disorder, they will likely have a speech impairment. This is because children learn speech by imitating what they hear. If your child cannot hear words or is not hearing them clearly, they will have a hard time learning to speak. 

5. Chronic Ear Infections

While you might not think chronic ear infections can affect your speech, they have a major impact. Chronic ear infections can cause temporary hearing loss, resulting in your child not naturally developing their speech patterns. If your child experiences ear infection after ear infection, they might need help with their speech later on. 

6. Lack of Speech 

One of the biggest signs of a speech problem in children is not speaking. Children should begin making sounds around four months old, with the sounds developing into speech around 12 months old. If your baby is quiet and is not making the normal sounds and noises, there might be a problem. 

These Are the Signs Your Child Might Have a Speech Disorder

These are the signs your child may be developing a speech disorder.

Stuttering, speech inconsistency, and a lack of babbling are all signs your child has a problem with their speech. Speech disorders are also the result of hearing problems and chronic ear infections. If you notice your child does not make the normal sounds and noises, they might be developing a speech disorder.

If your child has any of these signs, contact a speech therapist right away.

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