Does Your Child Have Poor Speech? What To Do
Speech is an important part of communication and you want to ensure that your child can talk and express themselves properly. If your child is getting to the age where they are ready to start school or in school, and you notice their speech isn't as clear or understandable as others their age, it's time to see professional help.
Their speech issues could just stem from poor development of the oral muscles, but could be because of an underlying problem as well. Here are a few experts you'll want to consider talking with to get to the bottom of the problem.
Speech Pathologist
If your child is going to public school, it shouldn't cost you any money to have your child's speech assessed by a speech pathologist. If they aren't in a public school system, talk with your pediatrician about getting a recommendation. This type of professional will assess all aspects of their speech to determine where they think the problem is, and what type of treatment is needed. The speech pathologist can give you muscle strengthening oral exercises and do therapy to help treat the delay.
Audiologist
Hearing loss or hearing difficulty can be a part of the problem, because if your child can't hear properly they won't learn how to speak clearly. This is a substantial problem in America, and you want to get your child seen by an audiologist so they can get a proper hearing screening. The results may show the culprit for their speech delays, and the child will need to see a specialist.
Dentist or Orthodontist
The way your child's teeth have grown in their mouth and the alignment of their jaw bones can have an impact on their ability to make sounds and talk. If you think that this could be the problem and your child hasn't ever seen a dentist or orthodontist, it's time to make an appointment. Once the child loses their teeth and adult teeth come in, the problems may go away as they can make proper sounds.
The longer your child goes without correcting their speech problems, the harder it will be to break the bad patterns. Talk with your pediatrician and the above mentioned professionals to see if the speech issues your child is having is because of a physical concern or delay, or if the problem is more mental than physical. Once you know what is causing the speech problems, it's going to be easier to treat and cope with the problem.
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