When should you look for Speech Therapy and Correction for kids

By Madhurie Singh, August 17, 2012

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Sometimes I wonder if the parents today have lost it?

I mean young parents with just 1 to 2 year old babies call to find out about speech therapy?

I think its becoming like a fashion to talk and discuss speech therapy as one of the happening things in the society! Young DINKs (double income) parents especially seem to be worried about their kids. Are they really worried about their kids or is it their guilt that is making them insecure and look for corrective actions at a age when their kids are not even exposed to the talking world.

Parents relax!

When should you NOT worry about speaking abilities of your kids:

  • At the age of 1 year, 2 years and 2.5 years.
  • When the child utters few words like mumma, papa, water, mumum, dudu etc clearly.
  • When the child is single child in a nuclear family.
  • When there are parents both going to work, leaving the child with a full time maid who obviously does not talk to the baby as she is more keen to finish her work and watch TV.
  • When grandparents also are watching TV all the time.
  • When the kid has never been to any playschool.
  • When the kid can easily hear everything and responds to sound in all directions. (check it at home by clapping suddenly at any side of the child's head)
  • When after coming back home, the parents do not have the energy to talk or read to the child something interesting than watching TV.
  • DO not compare with your other child's speech timings or abilities. They all have different combinations of chromosomes in their genes to make them different . 🙂

When should you really start Worrying about your child's speech:

  • When at the age of 3 years the child does not utter even a single word clearly.
  • When the child does not respond to sounds from distance or nearby.
  • When there is an obvious physical problem in the throat, neck, face, lips or tongue of the baby.
  • When the child does not utter any words or shows any interest even when has been going to a playschool for a quater or six months.
  • When the child is stammering or not able to say correct phonetic for any of the alphabets and letters or words.
  • When even in the joint family child does not talk even a single word. (This really scary as there may be reasons to investigate other than speech or hearing).
  • When the child is going to primary school and suffers from stammering or any such problems. 
  • When all of a sudden the speech has changed (time to investigate health and psychology).
  • When parents talk a lot with the child and still find no change.

What to do when the worrying points are visible :

  • Immediately meet a pediatrician who will assess the age and required speech abilities.
  • Meet 2-3 speech therapists and start sessions asap.
  • Do not go to speech therapists who will call you once in a week or month. You are wasting your money and time with no change in speech of the child.
  • Speech is easily correctible if the parents focus and take pain to correct their child's baby talks asap.
  • Stop talking to the babies in their baby way, but talk like an adult. Remember they do not know that you are imitating them. They will assume what you say as the right way.
  • Stop reffering to objects in baby terms like mumum, ninnu etc etc
  • Take the child to the hearing test in case the clap test fails.
  • Many kids do not talk because they do not hear properly or hear faintly.
  • Practice every 3- hours with your child for 5-10 min to reinforce the correct speech else it will be too late to correct.

Anything other than these points which I am able to recollect now, do comment below the post. 

 

 

Dear Madhurie mam, My 14 months old son used to say 5-6 word like 'Baba', 'Didi', 'Bhoo', 'dadda' until as recently as a week/10 days back. Since last one week or so, he's suddenly stopped uttering these words and mostly using signals for communication. Should this be considered as any kind of regression? And what all tests we should get done? Also, over the last week or 10 days he's been little sick with issues like 'diarrhea' and then some mouth infection for couple days. Thanks a lot for all your support.

I think you must visit a child specialist asap

Hi I have 3.3 years old daughter, she had long history of hospitalization, she can hear properly and can only speak PAPA and TATA and HA HA and can make lot of sound . till 11 months she was doing well. Post that she had long history of medical issues including steroids and surgery and Lungs related issues . Now she is recovered , pls guide what need to be done . Suggest some good speech therepist with contact number

Meet her pediatrician

Hello mam My name is ritu my son is 2.5 year old I am worried bcoz for 2years he was in nuclear family like me and my husband only in abroad so most of the time i was in household work and husband in office and or son in tv So after all this we came back to india bcoz our son was not grooming like not listening to his name only tv and songs even he didnt like other kids company that time So we move back to india now things have changed now he is a part of joint family Play with his dad chachu n others too and he is in play group also from last 3’months Now he response to his name even Now he has started speaking things like animals ,birds,many cars name but my point of worry is like he does not say mummy at all Like he want water he will not say he will hold my hand and take me to the kitchen and start pointing to things similarly he will not say papa but if he want to play with him infrontof mirror like jumping and all with papa he will hold his hand and take him My point is why he is not saying mummy and papa and pani khanaa on other side he says all animals lion tiger elephant etc when we force him like say papa first then papa will give u your thing then he only says So pls let me know is it a matter of concern or i must give him time.. bcoz i am i really worried about autism and all these thingss Even he is very shot temper like if he goes to park and he want there toy or any car he will cry badly and start throwing his things he will scream n lay down on the floor as a house wife i am trying all my best but still worried bcoz evertime i cant keep him away from phone n tv even my son is interested in watching phone shows or cartton in other language nd speak that language so i try to skip his phone and tv Pls advice mee some thing some guidance or help

He has not speech related issue if he can say animal names clearly. Why he is not saying Papa and Mumma is not clear to me but it may be something you need to check with a child specialist first. Let a good doctor assess his growth and milestones. When my sons were growing up my husband and I started calling each other papa and mumma. So kids learnt to address us as the same. So I guess your kids has to relate the words papa with your husband being called as papa and you being called as mumma. He has no concept of relations yet, though he will know who to run to for what purpose. Like you have mentioned that pulls ur hands for water while your husband's hands to take him for play. He needs to associate the names with your people. So start calling each other mumma and papa and see. Meanwhile goto a good doctor. The short temper thing is usually when kids are over pampered and get everything they demand. Being in the joint family suddenly he may be getting too much attention and he is a smart kid to make use of it. :)

Hi Dr, My son is turning 5 this July . He can pronounce alphabets, words, numbers , rhymes clearly. He has been to playschool. He has a problem of not responding to instructions. He doesnt know to write . His hearing is intact. His span of attention is very less. We have been taking him to a speech therapist for the last 5 months. He is very shy and doesnt talk to his classmates. He doesnt make full sentences .Does he need medical intervention.

Hi you need to take an appointment with a child specialist.

Hi , My daughter is 2.2 Year old. She speaks only few word like Mumma, Papa, Chacha, Phone. The first word she learned is phone as its of her interest. She doesn't pay much attention to learn new words also she forgot to imitate the words she learned earlier some time. Please suggest us.

Get her hearing tested.

Hi Ma'am my son is 2.3 years old.He says the number and alphabet and recongnise it too. His eye contact is perfect. His speech has been developed but not meaningful. He easily mixed up with others. He acts on the rhymes very nicely. But he is not communicate with us.Not responds to his name. We did his bera test nd it's normal. Enjoys playing with us. I can't understand what's his problem is! Pls help.

Ma'am waiting for your reply

My child is 2 yr old, he has not started speaking yet (but is not the matter of concern as per your blog). He is very active, response to animated movies and videos are very good. But he play alone or only with two of us and cries if anyone even picks him up , doesnt play (shy away) with other kids. Is this the matter of concern?

Hi Doctor, My baby is 22 months old and he is very active in doing new things but he is not speaking much apart from BAA, MUMMY AND PAPA.He listen to us and able to indemnify us as papa and mummy. He does the conversation in terms of pointing on things.The only thing I am worried that he is not speaking anything apart from these three words.Please help me to know if this is the time to worry and how we can make improvement so that he can speak more. Regards, Neha

Hello mam , My son is 3.3 yrs now he says n recognize all alphabets ,colours, numbers ,animals vegetables but he dnt talk with us. He likes only books n studies .if I try to teach other he dnt sit or look towards,even he says mummy pappa seeing our photo but not us. He goes to playgroup enjoys with children but dnt reply them too. He makes eye contact says nursery rhymes sometimes I m a working mom we parents both have less time my mother stays at home but she speaks less too. We checked with doctor he has no autism but speech delay please suggest how to make him speak. Even he dnt eat normal only grinded food is a big concern

Get his eyes tested. Keep him hungry till he wants to eat. Then give him roti or rice. DO not give milk or juice before or during meals.

Hi Mam my daughter is 2.4 years started speaking since she was 6 months one day for the first time I sent her to a birthday party she had a fear with ballons so she started crying and we brought her back within 5 mins and from next day she started stammering ,now it's like for a week of so she will speak like before and all of a sudden she will again start stammering I am really worried please guide me

Make her play with balloons and children. Ensure you repeat that incident till she has no fear. But be very careful.

I am 22 and face the problem of stammering. I am worried. Suggest some speech therapists in pune who can help me out. Is it totally correctible?

Stammering can be due to physical deformity then it is correctable by surgery if possible. Else if it is a psychological thing that occurs when you fear or are stressed out, then you have to work on them. It is all will power and repetition of the said treatment. Kindly fill the contact form by clicking my pic on the left hand side.

I have a son who will turn 3 years in a couple of months. I am worried on his inability to form sentences. He has a good grasping power for sure & even says few alphabets & some common words but fails to join words to make sentences. Also, he listens to what we say but doesn't give attention when we call him by his name. He goes to playschool but enjoys playing alone. we are worried should we visit a speech therapist ti improve his speaking skills. Pls suggest. I am housewife with nuclear family.

Madam.... waiting for your reply

Hello Mam, Once again very nice article from you :) I want the name of good speech therapist in pune. One of my friend is looking for it. Can you please help.

Hi Pari, kindly goto any big hospital like Jehangir, Ruby Hall, KEM and meet their Speech Therapists.

Hi Mam, My daughter is 2 year old and she speaks just few words like aaja,paai (for water) ,khoi( asking to open something) poty and few words more..she even forgot few words which she learnt earlier.. But she doesn't respond when I call her name or try to make her learn new words or actions..she tries to sing few songs and rhymes but could not put the words .. I have started her preschool to encourage her social mingling but I m extremely worried about her as kids of her age in my neighborhood are chatter boxes.. I have read somewhere that this could be autism since then I m feeling very low and tensed... Mam plz suggest what to do..

Hi Shubha, you must get her IQ tested if there is any doubt. Its always better to get all the tests done early in life than feel sorry later on. All you will lose is a few hours and some money. Go to a hospital instead of a clinic. Get all check ups done. Ask questions to the doctor and only when you are satisfied you must start any treatment. Also do not compare or bring the thoughts of other kids as your child is unique. Ask your mom and your mil when did the kids in their family start to talk. I started talking when I was 4 yr.

My son is 6 yrs old & has Down Syndrome.He can say few words but not making sentences yet.Generally doesn't reply to questions.I want contacts of speech therapists in Pune.Kindly help.

Hi mam, i m facing stemmering problem since last 6 years at now i m 18 years old,i want to overcome from this problem really please guide me.

Its not difficult to get rid of these problems. Kindly visit a speech therapist.

Hi, My daughter turn 4 years. We live in a nuclear family with she being the only child. My wife is house-wife taking care of daughter. My daughter not pronounce R properly , she pronounce L in place of R all the time. We always help her to pronounce correct. Her name is AARYA she pronounce AALIYA. She know her name is AARYA not AALIYA. We help her by using different methodlogy but not succed till now. Secondly in her school when her teacher ask her to write N or M she write vise a versa. I just saw this website and would expect some help. Thanks,

Sometimes due to not hearing properly, kids, say what they hear, wrong or write. Aalia does sound better, so why not help her get that name ;). You need to make her practice a lot all words starting with R. Meet a speech therapist and practice. I think a hearing check up is must asap.

Hi Madhurie, I am mother of 2.5 year old boy and i am worried about his talking and behavior skills. He has not yet started to talk. he just says baba...... and other sounds which the toddlers make. I try teaching him but he resist to listen and make sound of words like mama..... kaka.... chacha.... just keeps giggling, but he doesn't. he never response to his name u keep on calling but he will not turn or see. he does not make an eye contact when i try to teach him something nor he see my lips moving. we tried teaching him to wave his hand to say bye but he doesn't. He only likes playing and all sought of masti. I have recently put him to playgroup but there he just play but he wants one of us to be with him as only few days to start the school. my major worries are he doesn't speak much he doesn't mix with other kids. doesn't try to learn whatever taught doesn't respond to his name when called several time... Do i need to visit Doctor? are my worries just extra concern? Waiting for your reply

Hi Preeti, I am not sure about the speech but do get his hearing checked. Sometimes low hearing can also cause all these problems as the child is not hearing instructions. Other than that, he is normal and I am assuming he could be a child who loves to do things on his own. So after hearing is checked, just let watch his other growth and learning curves. As for you, you may need to visit a good friend :)

Hello Mam, My child will turn 4 years now. We live in a nuclear family with she being the only child. She had started to speak late by 2.5 years but what ever she used to speak was all correct. But from past 2 - 3 months there is a change in her speech. For eg: her own name if she wants to say she says as NNNNNNNNishtha. This problem is noted by us for many words. She many times sticks to the first letter itself and then silent! I am quite worried. Do i need a speech therapist for her? Please could you guide me one if so.

Hi Reena, If the child was talking correctly initially, then try to analyse what changes have happened since she has started this slurring. A new maid, tv cartoons, playschool, new friend who are doing this ? Speech therapists will also ask you the same questions. So get these answers and let me know. If nothing strikes then I will reco a speech therapist.

Thank you so much maám!!! Actually I was so worried,infact our pediatrician too told us 2 months back that my baby is fine,but always going for a second opinion is good right?Thats how I saw this site.I am just waiting for him to talk in sentences so eagerly.I am a housewife,thats how I get to know whats the new word he says!!! Once again Maám,it's perfectly fine right? A mom's eagerness..thats it :)

Hi Lima, Start talking to him as much and whenever possible in English too along with your native language. I started talking when I was 4 years and trust me, when I open my mouth, most people keep quiet! ;) So chillax! And I know as a mom what you are going through, but consider this from a mom who has been always paranoid, that its better to check out things in doubt than ignore. Do test his hearing by making a loud sound and surprise him with a shout from behind a sofa in hiding and check if he turns his head in the direction of the sound. If yes then everything is perfect. TC XOXO Madhurie Singh

Hi,my son will be turning 3 by the end of this month.The issue is that he still hasn't learnt to form sentences,but yes,he says few words like mamma,papa,curtain,cup,Moon,nice etc.He understands everything,has got a very good grasping power,but doesn't form sentences.We are very worried,do we have to go to a speech therapist now?please help.

Hi Lima, Are you a working mom? If yes then consider this late speech a normal thing. If no then too no need to worry as the child is talking. He is grasping everything and will surprise you all one day with a full sentence. Just ensure you do not indulge in baby talk and spoil his understanding of the right sound of words. If you still want to spend money, transfer some to me. :) Speech therapy is best handled if the child is not speaking a word or is not stuttering or stammering.

Hi, We were worried about our daughter (one of the twin girls) who was talking 10-15 words at the age of 1 year and gradually regressed. We met several experts and pediatricians and finally she was diagnosed with autism. Detail tests are about to be done to decide the degree of autism but we have strong recommendation of speech therapy from all doctors, physiologist at all. But the problem is its hard to find one or go to therapy as we have 2 kids of 2.5 years age and wife find it way difficult to manage. Do you have any suggestions .. please suggest we are struggling a lot

Hi Amit, Kindly fill the contact form asap

hello my daughter is 10 year complte .who is swimming for 3 hours daily.her weight is 38 kg. hight is 4.6 ft. which is the best protein drink for her for her recovery. her diet is good.she ate everything include fish etc nonveg pls suggest me

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