Children having speech problems have a tough time in communicating and expressing themselves. Children with speech problems have some unusual behaviour and such children are generally frustrated and with violent reactions. Some signs of speech problems in children are difficulty in following the instructions and use of gestures to communicate. Read on.Understanding whether your child is having a
speech problem or not can be a very as well as a very difficult situation. Parents are required to first get this clear that the commencement of language development in their child and their skill to properly communicate in a multitude of ways develops prior to the period when the kid actually uses simple words. So the tracking or the monitoring of the
child’s developmental progress must be done real early if you want to ascertain whether they are reaching their communication
milestones on time. The child begins to use his first utterance of words by the time he is 12 to 15 months old.
Here are Some Simple Signs that help you Understand Whether your Kid is Having Speech Problems or Not:
Unusual Behavior is School
Notice your child’s behavior in his kindergarten or preschool. Do you find his behavior markedly different from the other kids? Check whether your child is retreated or communicating readily. You also need to note if the other children or the teachers are finding it difficult to understand what your child is trying to say.
Observe your child’s behavior during learning and play activities. These are wonderful ways to detail and prolong your observation as in these cases, your child will be required to follow directions and do the maximum of communication with other kids as well as with the teacher. If you notice any sign of frustration or irritation in the child while he is talking, listening or following direction, you should know it is a cause of concern.
Developing a retreating character or becoming inattentive is defensive measures that a child adopts when he realizes that he is unable to communicate at par with other kids of his age. Every human being right from the moment that he is a child can automatically understand a basic fact that communication is necessary. So when he finds that he is ‘different’ from others and also aware where the fault lies, he loses interest in the regular classroom activities and play activities. He doesn’t want to communicate at all.
Frustrated and Violent Reactions
Noticing his behavior and reactions during his various emotional moods are signs on whether he has got a normal communication or a speech disorder. When the child is happy, angry or excited and wants to say something but is unable to put his words in the manner that wound like to, how does he behave? Does he feel challenged while expressing himself? When this is the case, the child usually shows mild to moderate signs of frustration and can even bite or hit other children who are around him or teachers. He basically becomes violent.
Gesturing More than Talking
If you find your child gesturing instead of communicating with words most of the times you should know that the child is actually not comfortable with speech. He avoids calling people of objects by their names, lest they are not clearly understood. Such kids are found to grab at objects that they want or tug at people that want to be with. This is the preferred way of response and manner they like to indicate his choices.
Difficulty in Following Instructions
If you notice that the child is finding it difficult to follow instructions and directions, however simple they might be, is a major indication that the kid is having speech disorder. Also if you find that the kids always prefers to follow procedures by watching others perform it rather than listening and following instructions, you should know that this is a sure sign of speech disorder.
There is nothing to be disheartened as such children can be effectively treated by a speech language specialist after a thorough speech language evaluation.
