Speech Delay In Children: What Parents Need To Do To Help Their Children

by Darline Turner Lee, Physician Assistant, ACSM Exercise Specialist

Article Last Reviewed: Sept. 9, 2006

What do you do when you realize that your child has a developmental problem? For any parent, learning that your perfect bundle of joy is not perfect is a devastating blow. After the initial shock, how do you help your child?

Meredith Clarke faced this very dilemma. A pediatric nurse practitioner suspected that Clarke’s fifteen-month old son was speech delayed at a routine well child check-up. “We never saw his lack of speech as a problem. We had recently moved back to the U.S. from Paris, and we assumed he was having difficulties with the different languages.” When her son exhibited no signs of talking at eighteen months, the nurse practitioner referred him for evaluation by Early Childhood Intervention (ECI), a statewide agency coordinating services for families with children from birth to age three with developmental problems and disabilities.

The first step a parent must take is to find out what’s causing the speech delay. Since speech is intimately connected to hearing, the agency recommended a hearing test. With a referral from ECI, Clarke’s son had a hearing test at the Texas School for the Deaf, which was normal. ECI then arranged speech-language and occupational therapy evaluations and treatments. When Clarke’s son turned three, he was referred to agencies caring for older children.

Clarke’s son was tested by the school district, but he did not the meet criteria for special education. Clarke and her husband tried several other agencies before finally settling her son at the Capitol School of Austin, a non-profit organization for young children with language and learning differences, specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Clarke’s son, now nearly five years old, is pronouncing words quite well. He is expressively challenged, meaning he has difficulty organizing his thoughts to construct sentences. However, he can comprehend language well enough to engage in age-appropriate activities.

“There are many reasons children experience speech delay,” says Amy Mandaville, Speech-Language Pathologist at Children’s Hospital of Austin and Brackenridge Hospital. According to Mandaville and her colleague, Carol Gustafson, also a speech- language pathologist, the main causes of speech delay include hearing deficit, neurological disorders (i.e. sensory dysfunction, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy), autism/pervasive developmental disorders, physiologic problems (cleft palate, head trauma or encephalitis {brain inflammation from infection}), familial predisposition and speech delay of unknown origin.

“The most important thing is for the delay to be detected early,” say Mandaville.

“Sadly, treatment is often delayed because parents don’t realize there is a problem. “The longer treatment is delayed, the more difficult it is for the child, and the poorer the prognosis,” added Gustafson. “Children whose speech delay is detected early and whose therapy is implemented early, do much better overall.”

Therapy to correct speech delay has several components and depends on the cause of the speech delay. Physical and occupational therapists may also play critical roles in the treatment of speech delay. Henley Sims’ daughter has speech delay due to sensory integration disorder. Children with this disorder are hypersensitive to stimuli and their brains process information from stimuli differently. “Occupational therapy has made all the difference for my daughter. They taught her to do tongue exercises and are currently teaching her exercises designed to strengthen the connections between her left and right brain. Her speech has improved tremendously and her progress overall has accelerated dramatically.”

Sims first noted that her daughter wasn’t making the usual infant noises and babbles, and at fourteen months, she brought up the issue with her pediatrician. When there was no action taken, Sims sought treatment for her daughter herself. Now at two and a half, Sims’ daughter is speaking well.

“Parental involvement is critical,” says Gustafson. “The level of parental involvement is a strong predictor of a child’s prognosis. A therapist spends one to three hours a week with a child. The rest of the time the child spends at home, at school, or with other caregivers. Parents and caregivers must continue the exercises at home and be actively involved in the child’s care.”

Recognizing and accepting that your child has a delay or disability is difficult. But the ultimate outcome is much improved when parents act quickly and have their children properly evaluated and treated.

Resources for Parents
Website:
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at www.asha.org provides information about normal speech and language developmental milestones

Books:
The Late Talker: What to do if your child isn’t talking yet by Marilyn C. Agin
The Out-of-Synch Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction by Carol Stock Kranowitz
The Out-of-Synch Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Integration Dysfunction by Carol Stock Kranowitz
The Einstein Syndrome-Bright Children Who Talk Late by Thomas Sowell
Late Talking Children by Thomas Sowell

Yahoo Group: Latetalkkids

State and Community Resources
Early Childhood Intervention – www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis. or (800) 250-2246.
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
Division of Early Childhood Intervention
4900 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78751
(512) 424-6789, fax (512) 424-6799

A statewide program for families with children aged birth to age 3 with developmental delays and disabilities. Call or e-mail for services in your zip code area.

Texas School for the Deaf - www.tsd.state.tx.us
1102 South Congress Avenue Austin, Texas 78704-1728
512.462.5353 tty/voice
1-800-DEAF-TSD

Special Education Departments of Local School Districts.

Children's Hospital of Austin: Rehabilitation Services (512) 324-8030

Capitol School of Austin – www.capitolschool.com
Liz Darwin, Executive Director. (512) 467-7006 or capitolschool@msn.com.
Horizon Program (For Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders)
Jesse Franco at (512) 458-4469 or at jessicahetlingerfranco@hotmail.com.

The Moore-Weis Children's Center of Austin - www.moore-weis.com
Suzzanne S. Moore and Kelly L. Weis, M.Ed., directors
1303 Lorrain Street Austin, TX 78703 (512) 472-6080
The Moore-Weis Children's Center of Austin is committed to providing a positive educational and therapeutic experience for children two through eight years of age experiencing communication disabilities.