Children talk late: causes and how to overcome them

One of the happiest moments for parents is seeing children begin to speak, even if only one word. Usually, the first self-explanatory word will come out by the time a child is 1 year old. Since that first word, the child's speech ability begins to develop with age. However, there are conditions that make children talk late. The following is a complete explanation of the causes, impacts, and how to overcome them.

The cause of the child talking late

Talking late in children is a fairly common problem in the developmental stage of toddlers. This condition can occur in children born with problems with the tongue or palate, abnormalities in the brain, or problems with the sense of hearing.

Children with this condition will stutter or have difficulty pronouncing words correctly. They also find it difficult to express themselves, ideas, or desires.

Meanwhile, the delay in children's language skills is usually seen from the delay in understanding the meaning of sounds and gestures. Children tend to have difficulty expressing themselves and understanding others.

Here are some reasons why children talk late:

The child has a problem with the tongue or palate

The cause of late speech for children who most often occurs because there is a problem with the structure of the mouth. In this case, the child may have difficulty controlling the muscles and mouth parts when speaking.

His lips, tongue, or jaw do not move to make certain words. The problem of children speaking late because of this one condition can be accompanied by other oral motor difficulties, such as when eating or chewing.

Distraction controlling movement

Apraxia or apraxia is a neurological disorder that affects the ability to control movement. This condition occurs due to an injury or abnormality in the parietal lobe in the brain.

Apart from having difficulty moving their face, feet and hands, children with this condition often have difficulty communicating.

This is not because the muscles around the mouth are weakened, but rather that the brain has difficulty directing and coordinating muscle movements.

The key to detecting a child with difficulty speaking related to apraxia is to recognize the signs and symptoms.

Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, there are several signs and symptoms of apraxia that affect children's speech abilities, namely:

• When they are young, children do not actively babble or make screams, laughs, and so on.
• Children are late in pronouncing their first words, which is between 12 and 18 months of age.
• Children have trouble forming sentences all the time. It is even difficult to reply to what other people said.
• The child has difficulty chewing or swallowing.
• Children often repeat the words spoken or vice versa. Cannot repeat the same word for the second or third time, for example "book" becomes "nails".
• When pronouncing one word, it is very difficult to move to another word.

If you notice any signs or symptoms of difficulty speaking in children, consult a doctor immediately.

Hearing loss and ear infections

Hearing problems are closely related to late speech toddlers (children talk late). That is why when a child is diagnosed with a speech delay, he must be tested by an audiologist.

When children have hearing problems, they have difficulty understanding the speech around them and their own voices. This is what makes it difficult for children to understand and master words and imitate them smoothly.

In addition, late speaking children can also be caused by ear infections. Chronic ear infections and inflammation of the middle ear are the most common causes.

Therefore, do not underestimate ear infections that occur in toddlers, because it can cause toddlers to talk late.

Oral conditions that are less than perfect

There are several health conditions that can cause a child to speak late, such as cleft palate and a short frenulum.

The frenulum is the fold that holds the tongue with the mouth down. If you find this, the pediatrician will usually refer to the dentist for further therapy.

Has developmental problems

MCS Mott Children Hospital explains on its official website that there are several developmental problems that cause children to talk late, such as:

• Cerebral palsy
• Traumatic brain injury
• Imperfect muscle condition

The above conditions affect the child's speech ability and make the child talk late. Apart from that, autism also affects communication and usually.

In some cases, talking late in children can be an early sign of autism.

At what age is a child said to speak late?

You may be confused about whether your child is late to speak or not. If your baby doesn't make sounds, mumble, or chatter by 2 months of age, this is an early sign that the child is late speaking.

Signs of late child speaking based on age are below, quoting from Kids Health:

18 months of age cannot utter simple words

When the age of 18 months, usually babies can say simple words, such as "mama", "daddy", "already", "goodbye" if your child is not able to pronounce them at that age, it can be a sign that the child is late speaking.

2 years old words spoken less than 25

Children aged 2 years usually can say about 50 words. In this phase, your little one starts trying to combine two words, for example, mom is eating, wants to sit, or big cat.

If your child has not reached this stage, you need to be careful because it can be a sign that your toddler is late speaking.

Age 2 years 6 months do not combine words

The Denver II chart shows that a child at this age should be able to combine two or more words into one sentence. So, he no longer spoke with just one word.

If your child experiences this, it can be a sign that the child is late speaking.

At 3 years old, the words spoken are less than 200

In the development of a 3 year old child, generally children can already say 1000 words, say their own name and ask questions.

If your child is unable to name a friend or himself, you should be suspicious of him.

Age over 4 years cannot repeat the words that he previously said

The Denver II graph shows that children aged 4 years and over are able to recognize word opponents and repeat the words they previously said.

In addition, children at this age are able to count the blocks that are being played. If your child does not experience these things, this could be an early sign that the child is late in speaking.

Long-term effects of late speech in children

When children talk late, this condition can continue to affect them into adulthood. Some of the long-term effects of a speech disorder that doesn't get early treatment include:

1. Poor academic performance

Quoting from IDAI, late speaking, lack of reading and writing skills can add to learning difficulties. The reason is, these skills are basic abilities that must be mastered by children when they enter school age.

Children with speech problems will find it difficult to participate in learning activities such as answering questions, expressing opinions or ideas, reading, or understanding the conversations of teachers or friends in class.

If children cannot follow lessons well, of course their performance at school may not be satisfactory.

2. Difficult to find a suitable job as an adult

Children who are tardy and have speech disorders are less likely to be interested in school. The reason is, they have to fight hard to follow lessons and communicate well.

This condition often makes them stressed and depressed, so that it may make children choose to drop out of school.

As adults, children with low education will find it difficult to find decent work. In fact, it is difficult to maintain a job that you already have because it is difficult to communicate.

3. Difficult to socialize and prone to psychological problems

It can be difficult for children with speech disorders to develop relationships with playmates, family members, or other people. They find it difficult to accept information, follow conversations, or respond to other people's jokes.

This condition puts great pressure on the child so that he is prone to experiencing social phobia (social anxiety disorder).

Social phobia is a mental disorder that causes a person to be overly anxious and afraid of being in crowded public places. This also makes your little one experience emotional disturbances in children.

How to deal with a late child talking

Talking late children can still be overcome, depending on the severity. You can practice it every day at home or do professional speech therapy.

Here are some ways to train children to speak quickly:

1. Pay attention to the child's hand movements

Children who are 1 year old actually have understood a lot of words, they just can't tell you yet.

Therefore, you can improve your little one's language skills by paying attention to their movements and drawing conclusions from them.

For example, when your child is waving, you can say, "Bye, little brother!" Or, when they point to an object, you can say, “Do you want a toy? Which one? This?"

2. Use actual vocabulary

Because their speaking ability is still limited, children tend to mention an object they see in their own vocabulary, according to their pronunciation ability. This is often known as baby talk aka baby language.

But as a parent, you need to use real words, not use baby language too. This is intended to help increase the vocabulary of your little one and help them learn to speak.

For example, when your child calls eating "mamam", you can respond with, "Oh, want to eat."

This also applies when your child calls a car "obim", you can respond with, "Yes, there is a car, right?"

3. Often tell stories and ask questions to children

The way to train late-speaking children to be more active in speaking is to often tell stories. Invite him to talk about whatever happened that day or read a children's story book he likes.

After reading the book, ask your child about his feelings after reading the book or his opinion about the characters in the story.

Frequently asking questions can also be an effective way to lure children to talk more. When walking around the house, point to or display the sound of objects that are there.

When asking, there's no need to rush to wait for your little one's answer. Let him think and choose the right words. If he seems hesitant or mispronounced, give the right answer without being patronizing.

4. Always respond to children's speech

If you want to improve your child's speech, you need to respond to every word your child says.

There is no need to proofread every word your child speaks. If something goes wrong, you just need to respond to every word your child says.

For example, when a child says "da… da…", you can respond with, "Daddy is going to go… bye, daddy!"

5. Stare less frequently at the screen

Effective communication for children is two-way and gadget doesn't facilitate that. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends for children 2 years of age and older, use gadget or gadget only 2 hours a day.

This is because gadgets are not interactive games that make children talk actively. The device is also unresponsive to the child's speech development and can be the cause of the child speaking late.

Too long playing gadgets can make him addicted.

6. Therapy for hearing infections

As mentioned earlier, late speaking children can be affected by hearing infections.

When a child has a hearing infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. Make sure the dose given is according to the child's age and condition.

Within the span of treatment, the doctor will ask to consult regularly to make sure the infection has cleared up.

7. Consult a doctor

When you detect that your child is talking late, consult a doctor immediately. Generally, the doctor will do a hearing test first. If your child needs professional help, the doctor will refer you to a speech therapist.

If it is really late to speak because of cleft lip, it is very likely that you need to do speech therapy. The therapist will work with your child to practice how to pronounce words, sounds, and strengthen facial and mouth muscles.

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