Language Development in Children: When Should You Be Concerned?

Though every child develops at her own pace, there are times when speech is delayed enough to be a cause for parental anxiety. Even up to two years of age, vast disparities in vocabulary and consistency can be present between two children without raising a pediatrician’s concern, despite parents’ worries. There are several factors that indicate legitimately delayed speech resulting from developmental problems. While a diagnosis can only come from your pediatrician or a specialist, there are some red flags parents and nannies should be on the lookout for. When Not to Worry There are several factors that affect a child’s language and speech development. Kids that comprehend and satisfactorily respond to verbal commands and questions from an adult are generally not considered developmentally delayed based solely on being silent themselves. Temperament and premature births, chronic ear infections, being a younger sibling and even being doted on a bit too much can all have a temporarily adverse effect on a child’s language skills. Anticipating her every need and presenting food or comfort objects before she can use words to express her wants and desires, for instance, never gives a child the chance to speak for herself. As a result, she may master language and basic conversational skills a bit later than her less-coddled peers. Ear infections that persist for extended periods of time, especially during the first eighteen months of a child’s life can diminish her ability to hear during the crucial period when she is learning to process language. This can lead to minor setbacks. A child under twelve months that reacts to the sound of her own name and attempts to imitate them, even to no avail, is almost certainly on schedule from a developmental standpoint. Signs of Delay Babies under twelve months of age that lack the ability to use physical gestures, such as waving “bye-bye” or pointing at a desired object, may be exhibiting early signs of delayed language development. Similarly, eighteen-month-old children that have trouble imitating sounds, following simple verbal requests and prefer physical gestures over vocalized communication may warrant a bit of concern. By two years of age, a child who cannot be understood by parents and regular caregivers, has a markedly strange tone of voice or cannot produce words spontaneously, despite being able to mimic some simple phonetic sounds, should be evaluated by a medical professional. The best time for worried parents to begin seeking professional help is around the thirty-month mark as “late bloomers” will typically have caught up to their peers considerably by this point. Talking

to your child in a normal, clear tone of voice and reading books out loud can encourage proper speech development, especially in children that are exhibiting signs of being “late bloomers” rather than developmentally delayed. Naming objects as you use them; pointing out landmarks and explaining your child’s surroundings are also effective reinforcement techniques, provided that parents avoid cutesy language and “baby talk.” Diagnosing any potential problems as early as possible will increase the chances of improving a child’s ability to communicate with her parents and interact verbally with those around her.

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