Language delays impact future academic, social, and cognitive development. This is why early intervention is critical to a child’s success across communicative environments.
Do you ever get frustrated when someone misunderstands you or your intentions? If that seems difficult to you as an adult, think about what that is like for a child. Oftentimes a child’s actions tell us more about their language than we think. According to recent studies, children struggling to express themselves are 2x more likely to exhibit more extreme and more frequent tantrums and physical behaviors than those with an evolving inventory of sounds and words.
Yes, it is true…all children throw a tantrum at some point because they didn’t get to watch one more episode of their favorite show, or had to leave the park before their friends. The two important factors to consider when deciphering toddler terror from language delay are frequency and severity.
Ask yourself these questions:
Does my child tend to revert directly to behaviors (hitting, yelling, etc.)rather than using words?
Do they seem to have difficulty communicating their wants and needs?
How well are they interacting with their peers in play and other social situations?
Why is early language development important?
As children develop, they move from acquisition of language to application of language. Those early years of developing an inventory of nouns, verbs, and adjectives are the cornerstone of language and literacy. As children get older and begin to engage with a variety of texts and conversational partners, they are exposed to new vocabulary and are expected to use their previously acquired skills to understand and reciprocate language.
The prevalence of voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorders is highest among children ages 3-6. Research has shown that about 70% of late talkers catch up by the time they start elementary school, BUT they also may continue to experience social, language, literacy, and executive functioning weaknesses that persist into adolescence. Is it worth the risk?
By the age of 2, children should have about 200-300 words, by the age of 3, they should have 1,000 words, and by the age of 4, 1,600 words! How many words would you estimate your child has in their inventory? A child is considered a late talker when they are under 30 months of age, have less than 50 words, and/or are not yet combining words. Do these features describe your child?
As parents we always want to do what is best for our kids. We refer to the internet for advice on the bumpy rash on their arm or how to manage their sleep, but what if you sought out information about your child’s language development from experts in the comfort of your own home?
Look no further than OWLS Therapy! With one phone call you can have access to certified speech-language pathologists who can answer your burning questions and provide in-home, individualized services tailored to the needs of each and every child!
Call us for a free consultation.
Northern Virginia:
info@owlstherapy.com
(703) 470-6957
Philadelphia’s Main Line:
philadelphia@owlstherapy.com
(610) 579-0914