Obsessive-compulsive disorder can appear on its own or along with other behavioral and developmental disorders, such as autism. Fortunately, ABA therapy can reduce the severity of these symptoms. Keep reading to learn how.
We may not give it much thought, but there’s a lot that goes into communicating. From enunciatiating sounds to making expressions, many things happen when we interact with others.
While every child is different, there are normally certain milestones — which we’ll cover in this blog — that children reach as they develop their ability to communicate. If your child isn’t reaching them, speech therapy may be able to help.
Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists, have advanced training in assessing and treating communication problems and speech disorders. This training enables them to help with a wide range of disorders, such as those involving:
At Scottsdale Children’s Institute in Arizona, our team can help your child build the communication skills they need, even at a very early age. Here are a few signs your child could benefit from speech therapy.
One of the earliest signs of a language disorder can appear between 4-7 months of age. During this time of development, babies typically begin babbling and experimenting with sound. If your child seems oddly quiet, it’s worth speaking with your doctor.
Like babbling, gesturing is an early form of communication in children. These behaviors typically begin between 7-12 months of age and often include actions like waving and pointing.
Every child is different, and that applies to their communication development, too. However, you should talk with your doctor if your child doesn’t use any gestures by 12 months, especially if they don’t interact in other ways, like smiling.
As children grow, they usually begin understanding words and requests as their communication skills develop. This can take some time, but they should have a general understanding of simple spoken requests.
This understanding should also extend to identifying common objects in pictures and in person. With these basic communication skills, they should be able to understand two-step requests, such as “Please pick up the doll and give it to me,” by 12-24 months of age.
Similar to understanding verbal requests, a child should start learning and combining words as they continue developing and growing. For example, many children can say approximately 10 words by the time they reach 18 months.
By two years of age, they typically know 50 or more words. As they learn these words, they should start putting sentences together, often starting with two-word combinations, like “baby little.”
As a child’s comprehension increases, their vocabulary should as well. Between 2-3 years of age, it’s common to observe huge changes in speech, and they should begin using three or more words in sentences.
It can be cute listening to children mispronounce new words or sounds. However, many children with speech disorders can struggle to pronounce certain letters. Children 1-2 years of age who have a speech disorder often incorrectly say the letters b, p, m, h, and w in words. And children 2-3 years of age who have a speech disorder often incorrectly say the letters k, g, f, t, d, and n in words.
In addition to having problems making certain sounds, sometimes children with a speech disorder are generally difficult to understand.
Fortunately, speech therapy can help your child build the language skills they need to communicate clearly and thrive at every stage of life. To learn more about your child’s speech or language skills, book an appointment online or over the phone with Scottsdale Children’s Institute today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can appear on its own or along with other behavioral and developmental disorders, such as autism. Fortunately, ABA therapy can reduce the severity of these symptoms. Keep reading to learn how.
One thing that sets an inclusive education apart is its focus on inclusivity. Under this model, all children have the opportunity to learn together, despite their differences. Keep reading to learn how this approach can benefit kids.
A person’s ability to hear, understand, and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas can be impacted for many reasons. But there are several ways speech therapy can help children with communication disorders.
When it comes to encouraging a love of learning, it all starts with an ideal environment. Keep reading to see what sets our innovative educational space apart when it comes to creating an engaging, positive, and educational setting.
Every child is different, right? Then why do we assume they all learn the same way? Relying on individualized instruction can help ensure your child understands and learns at a pace designed specifically for them and their unique needs.
Just because your child is nearing kindergarten age, that doesn’t mean they’re ready to enter a general education setting. That’s because school readiness involves subjective and objective milestones, not just being a certain age.