Delayed Language Development in Children
(Symptoms)
This page will help answer your questions about speech and language delay in children.
What Is Language Delay in Children?
Language development begins at an early age. Children start by responding to sounds, learning a few words, and gradually forming sentences.
Speech delay is one of the most common issues among children. It refers to a delay in the ability to speak certain words or form sentences in a typical way.
Some children may experiencefrustration or angerwhen they find it hard to express what they want. In some cases, speech delay ismild and temporaryand can improve over time with family support. In other cases, it may requiremedical intervention.
What Are the Causes of Language Delay in Children?
- Language development in children is a complex process influenced by many different factors, includingenvironmental,family-related, andmedicalfactors.
- Medical causes:
- Hearing loss
- Middle ear infections
- Epilepsy
- Birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen at birth)
Low birth weight
- Premature birth
- Environmental and family-related causes:
- Multilingual households – young children may struggle to adapt to multiple languages at once, leading to confusion.
- Family history of language delay
- Low parental education level
- Absence of one parent
- Exposure toemotional or psychological trauma
- Constant exposure toenvironmental noise
Watchingtelevision for more than two hours per day may limit social and language interaction with others, hindering the child’s language development
Low socioeconomic status.
- What Are the Signs of Speech and Language Delay in Children?
- From Birth to12 Months:
- Lack of vocalization(e.g., not makingsounds like “ahh” or “ooh”)
- No response to sounds(e.g., not turning towardtheir name or reacting to loud noises)
Poor eye contact(e.g., not making eye contact when someone is talking to them)
- Not imitating sounds(e.g., not trying tomimic the sounds they hear)
- From 12 to18 Months:
- Limited vocabulary(e.g., not saying simplewords like “mama” or “dada”)
- Difficulty understanding words(e.g., not following simpleinstructions like “Where’s the ball?”)
Rare use of gestures(e.g., not pointing to objects they want)
- Difficulty imitating gestures(e.g., unable tomimic actions like clapping)
- From 18 Monthsto 2 Years:
- Not using two-word phrases(e.g., notcombining words like “mama ball”)
- Difficulty understanding questions(e.g., not responding to simplequestions like “What do you want?”)
Frustration when not understood(e.g., showing signs of distress when unable to communicate)
Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds(e.g., trouble with letters like “S” or “R”)
How to Manage Delayed Language Development in Children?
- There are several steps that can help you manage your child’s condition and support the development of their language skills. Initially, it is essential to ensure that the child does not have any underlying medical issues. This can be done by monitoring their responsiveness to sounds and their ability to visually engage with people speaking to them. After ruling out any medical causes, you can follow general developmental milestones for language acquisition, as follows:
- By the age of one:
- Teach the child animal sounds.
- Read to the child regularly.
- Observe whether the child points to objects being mentioned.
Teach the child basic actions, such as waving and greeting.
- Encourage the child to repeat words spoken by others.
- Between the ages of one and two:
- Talk to the child while performing daily activities.
- Encourage the child to point to and name pictures.
- Stimulate the child to form simple sentences.
Speak to the child clearly using simple and understandable vocabulary.
- Expand the child’s vocabulary by adding new phrases to the words they already know.
- Between the ages of two and three:
- Introduce letters and early reading activities.
- Focus on the child while they speak, making them feel that their words are valued.
- Encourage the child to name people.
- Engage the child in play activities and prompt them to name shapes and colors during these interactions.
- Encourage the child to repeat and rephrase what they wish to communicate.
Answer the child’s questions patiently.
- Broaden the child’s social circle and motivate them to interact and speak with others.
- When Should You Consult a Physician?
- If the child stops speaking altogether.
- If the child fails to respond to sounds in their environment.
- If the child is unaware of another person’s presence in the room.
- If the child has an abnormal voice tone (e.g., hoarseness).
If the child can articulate sounds but is unable to form sentences.
If the child repeatedly echoes phrases from television and uses them inappropriately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do modern technologies such as tablets and television affect speech delay?
Yes. If a child spends excessive time in front of screens during their early developmental years, it may negatively impact their language and speech development. Therefore, it is important to limit screen time and prioritize social interaction and communication with others.
