By Faith 
Seeing your child grow and pass all the stages of growth is every parent’s joy. However, children develop differently based on different factors, such as genes and the environment. That’s why, at a certain age, your child should have passed the milestone of being able to speak with short sentences. It’s often scary when you witness a lack of speech development by your child. Fortunately, if you live in Sydney, there are many ways to curb this and help your child with language.
First, you can contact a speech pathologist Burwood, Sydney, to help them develop conversational skills, improve their quality of life, and understand social cues to help them relate with people at home and school. However, most parents don’t know when to seek professional help until it is too late. This blog post will highlight signs that your child might need help from a pediatric speech pathologist.
Stuttering
Stuttering is One of the common signs that might indicate that your child is having difficulty with language and speech. Note that stuttering can develop in children who speak in complete sentences. Stutter is a condition in which the child repeats the first letter of a word while having difficulty articulating a sentence. For example, when they want to mention a dog, they may say it like a d-d-d-dog. Even though stuttering can go ways on its own, you must engage with a professional to diagnose the condition and help your child develop speech. In some cases, when not diagnosed and therapy started on time, stuttering will result in severe stutters.
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Failure to Respond To Their Name
As your child grows, they get to understand their name and respond to it whenever someone calls them out; however, if your child does not respond to their voice, this might indicate they are suffering from a development issue that requires immediate attention. Planning a consultation with a speech pathologist will help diagnose the child and direct you to what you need to do or any other professional you need to meet. Not that at this stage, most of the children are often diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It might not be the case since non-responsiveness to their name might indicate a hearing issue or issues with receptive language skills.
Failure to Comprehend and Understand Directions
As your child is developing, they should be able to follow simple instructions such as “sit down” or “eat.” However, if your child doesn’t understand your instructions, stares at you blankly, or disregards them, it might indicate more than just behavioral issues. It’s critical to introduce them to a speech therapist to help them improve their speech and language skills. This will allow them to understand simple instructions and improve their receptive skills.
Refusing to Speak
There are a lot of times you find that your child is shy in social gatherings or situations. They become selectively mute, which can indicate a disorder known as selective mutism. This disorder is often characterized by a child refusing to speak or speaking in low whispers and sometimes using non-verbal cues. This can lead to complexity that might affect the child even in the future. This is why parents must seek the help of a speech-language pathologist who will determine whether a child’s selective mutism is due to trauma, anxiety, or behavioral issues. Many effective treatments are meant for selective mutism based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and behavior approaches.
To Better Child Speech!
It’s time to help your child improve their language skills. This will help you communicate and understand your kid’s needs, especially when they are out or need something urgently. Take your time to choose the right speech therapist for your kid by checking the reviews online.