Delayed speech development - causes and signs of delayed speech development

Speech delay is classified into two types:

• Speech delay, in which all aspects of the child's development, except speech, are at the proper level.
• Speech delay, in which the delay in speech development is accompanied by a delay in the development of intelligence. It is observed in Down syndrome, autism, etc.

Causes

The causes of speech delay can be:

• Underdeveloped mouth muscles or weak facial muscle tone. Weak facial muscle tone can be due to the fact that the baby is weaned early.
• Insufficient concentration of auditory attention, which occurs in the absence of activities with the child: reading and educational games.
• Hearing problems. If hearing impairments are detected late, critical time for stimulating the auditory canals leading to the auditory centers of the brain may be missed.
• Trauma, pathology and brain damage. Infectious diseases suffered in the womb or during the first year of life also play an important role in the development of hearing impairments.
• Adverse factors during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus, premature, prolonged or rapid labor and birth injuries.
• The presence of mental disorders in the child's parents, their use of alcohol and frequent conflicts in the family can also cause the development of hearing impairments.
• Genetic predisposition. If one of the parents has speech problems, then it is quite possible that the child will also have these problems.

Symptoms

There are the following signs of speech delay:

• The child begins to hold his head, sit and walk late.
• The child is silent and does not pronounce even the most basic sounds.
• The child attracts attention to himself by crying, there is no reaction to calls.
• The child does not recognize objects by ear and is not able to show them in a picture.
• The child speaks so indistinctly that it is impossible to make out half of the words.
• The child is withdrawn and does not communicate with other children.
• The child does not respond to basic commands from adults.
• At 2-3 years old age, the child does not pronounce complete phrases and simple sentences.
• At the age of 4, the child does not pronounce complex and complete sentences.

Diagnostics

Diagnostics of ZR consists of a comprehensive examination of the child by a pediatric neurologist, psychoneurologist, pediatrician, speech therapist, otolaryngologist, defectologist and psychologist. The pediatrician must determine the somatic status and possible causes of the pathology, as well as refer the child to specialists of the required profile. Such studies as EEG, EchoEG, duplex scanning of the arteries of the brain are necessary to identify an infectious lesion.

Examination by an otolaryngologist is required to exclude hearing loss, otitis, adenoids. The task of the speech therapist is to study the anamnestic data, the level of development of motor skills and speech apparatus, auditory and visual reactions, and the child's communicative activity. In children under 1 year of age, vocal and pre-speech activity is observed. The diagnostics of the speech examination consists of conducting the Denver test of psychomotor development, the Griffith scale of psychomotor development, the scale of early speech development, etc. are used.

Treatment

Correction of speech delay depends on the reasons that contributed to the occurrence of speech delay. In case of social and pedagogical factors, first of all, it is necessary to organize a favorable communicative atmosphere, stimulate speech formation, select the right developmental material, visualize images of correct speech, and pronounce all actions performed by the child.

In case of brain dysfunction, a pediatric neurologist prescribes therapy, including taking nootropic drugs, a course of massage, transcranial micropolarization, magnetic therapy, electroreflexotherapy, etc. In addition to medical correction and family education, patients with speech delay require regular classes with a speech therapist and psychologist to develop speech and cognitive skills. Particular attention should be focused on the development of motor skills, finger and active games, work activities, didactic classes, development of visual and auditory concentration, coherent speech.

Prevention

Prevention of speech delay consists in creating favorable conditions for the normal course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, creating the right speech atmosphere and ensuring adequate microsocial conditions.

To determine the level of speech development at the age of 2-3 years, it is necessary to visit a speech therapist.