|
 | PRINTER-FRIENDLY FORMAT |
A baby’s first word is an important and exciting event for the family. But, when should that first word occur and when should you start to be troubled if he hasn’t spoken? It can be very concerning, especially when other parents are boasting about their child’s speech, if your little one does not appear to be keeping up.
Simple speech delays are often temporary and may resolve on their own or with a little extra help from family, however sometimes a child will require professional assistance.
Delays in language are the most common types of developmental delay in children. Most studies find the incidence of speech delays to be 5 to 8 percent of all children, but some studies put the incidence as high as 20 percent. Speech delays are a concern for a number of reasons. Some children will show behavioral problems because they are frustrated when they can’t express everyday needs, desires or interests. Sometimes delays may be a warning sign of a more serious disorder including a hearing loss, global developmental delays or autism. Delays also could be a sign of a possible learning problem you may not notice until the school years.
Communication starts long before a child’s first word. By two months your child should be smiling at you and by three months she should begin making coos (long vowel sounds). Children can understand words before they can speak them; most children know the word “no” by seven months, of course just because they know what it means doesn’t mean they always obey when you say it. The first words (usually Mama and Dada) come around the first birthday, although first words at 15 months are completely normal. By 18 months most children will know 10 to15 words, and as a child approaches his second birthday he should be picking up about one new word per week and be making short two or three word sentences like “mommy go” or “baby cry”. Toddlers also frequently exhibit polysyllabic jargoning, or making meaningless sounds, but with inflection so it sounds like they are talking in a foreign language they made up.
By three years old most children are speaking in three word sentences “I want milk” and are using pronouns with some difficulty (think of the way Cookie Monster talks “Me want cookie;” that character’s speech pattern is very typical for a 3-year-old).
Initially a parent may be the only adult who understands what a child is saying, but by two years about 50 percent of a toddler’s words should be understandable to a stranger, by three years around 75 percent, and by four years her speech should be very clear. Parents can do a lot to promote language development in children. You should be speaking to your child, with eye contact, from the day they are born. Although they can’t understand the words, they bond from the social interaction with parents. Play frequently with your baby: talk, sing and recite rhymes. This helps your baby learn spoken language and builds a strong foundation for reading. Read to your child frequently and stop to look at the pictures; ask your child to name things she sees in the pictures. It’s important to encourage your baby to “talk” to you with gestures and/or sounds so he learns the importance of language.
It’s important to have an evaluation if you are concerned about your child’s language development. If your child does have a delay he may be eligible for Early Intervention. Early Intervention is a program provided by the State of Massachusetts for young children (birth to age 36 months) with developmental delays or at risk of delays and their families. Please contact your pediatrician or the Early Intervention program at the Kennedy Donovon Center in Plymouth 508-747-2012, for more information.
Dr. McAllister is the medical director of Performance Pediatrics in Plymouth. For more information, visit www.PerformancePediatrics.com.
