5 Signs Your Toddler Needs Pediatric Speech Therapy

Posted on: 7 August 2015

If you have a toddler, he or she may find it difficult to pronounce certain words or construct complex sentences. It's normal of preschoolers to mispronounce consonant sounds, such as "th" or "l." The word "math" may end up sounding more like "maf." Likewise, "long" may be mispronounced as "wong." Nevertheless, you should at least be able to understand most of your youngster's words. In addition, if your little one's speech does not show improvement over time, you may want to consider pediatric speech therapy. Here are a few signs that you should contact a speech therapist for your child:

Lack of Speech

If your toddler is not saying words or only speaks on rare occasions, don't hesitate to have his or her speech professionally evaluated. By the time your child is 18 months old, he may be able to speak about five words. However, by the time he or she reaches 18 to 24 months, your child may be saying up to 75 words and even constructing short sentences. However, a child who is three years old may use about 300 words on a regular basis. That number may more than double by the time he or she is four.

Mispronunciation of Vowel Sounds

If your child mispronouncing vowel sounds, he or she may need speech therapy. Although consonant sounds are frequently mispronounced by young children, the mispronunciation of vowel sounds is less common.

Complete Omission of Consonants

If your child is only pronouncing the vowel in one-syllable words that contain consonants, there could be a problem with his or her speech development. For instance, the word "cap" may be pronounced as a short "a" sound.

Uses the Same Word for Everything

If toddler has one word that he or she uses to refer to everything, there could be a delay in speech. For instance, it is unusual for a dog and a hat to both referred to as "uh" on a regular basis.

Repeats a Word in Your Question as the Answer

If your child answers all of your questions by simply repeating a word within your question, he could be exhibiting echolalia, which is sometimes a sign of autism. You may say, "Would you like your cap?" Your little one may respond by saying, "Cap!" A more typical response would be to nod or answer "yes."

Speech is developed over time. However, if your child's speech seems delayed or unusual, have him or her evaluated by a qualified speech therapist. The speech irregularities may be perfectly normal, but if they aren't, pediatric speech therapy may help. Contact a company like Achieve Center for more information.

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