What can cause a speech delay?

Well...let me start by saying that every child is different...some are more into gross motor activites (learning to walk, exploring, etc..), some are into other fine motor tasks (coloring, puzzles, etc..), and some are just more interested in playing, etc...than learning how to talk. I say "Learn to talk" because although many people believe "talking" is an innate ability (aka..happens at birth without teaching)...that is a non-factual observation..when a child begins to talk it happens because they are pre-programmed (by God) to want to talk so they pay attention...but it is ultimately the environment, the stimulation,etc...that teaches them to actually say those first words....that being said...many things can interfere with children getting all the "learning" time that they need in order for those words to come.

The biggest cuplrit being ear infections....second on the list is fluid on the ears...What is that? Well...many children have fluid in their ear canal that just sits in there and clogs the canal...it never becomes an actual infection..the child is usually unaware of the fluid because it doesn't cause pain...it just sits there as a silent culprit...

How do I find out if my child has this? First I would suggest going to see an Otolaryngologist (ENT)...they usually have an audiologist (ear therapist) on staff who can test their hearing all in one visit.

What? My child could have limited hearing because of fluid and/or an infection?

You got it! Children with chronic ear infections or fluid on their ears often miss hearing some of the sounds...or they may hear a distorted version of the actual sound...Think about if you were in a swimming pool with a friend and you two were trying to talk back and forth under water...how well would you hear? How well do you hear all the sounds? Sometimes a speech therapist can pick out the kids that experienced fluid and/or ear infections...usually the kids are missing those higher frequency sounds.../s/, /f/, etc...

Along with ear infections sometimes comes chronic congestion...and yep..you guessed it this can also impede learning how to talk. Why? Well....when a child is chronically congested they are forced to breathe out of???? Yep...you guessed it their mouth...and if their mouths are constantly busy breathing...then how will they be able to have adequate opportunities to use their mouths to speak? Usually these children are missing the "lip sounds"...or the /b/ and /p/...why? Well...because in order to produce the "lip sounds" one must put their lips together and close their mouths...which is awfully hard to do if you need to keep your mouth open in order to breathe...yikes! These kids sometimes are also missing the "nasal" sounds or the /m/, /n/, and /ng/ sounds...Why? Well...the next time you have a cold and your nose is full try making the "mmmmmmmm" sound...what happens? Yep...you guessed it...the sound "Tickles" your nose..which is kind of uncomfortable. Why does this happen? Well because in order to produce a "nasal" sound the air has to flow through your nose....(There is a whole lot more to this...oral versus nasal sounds, etc...but we will talk about that later).

Soooo...back to those first words...so if you have child with chronic ear infections, congestion and fluid on their ears...WOW! How hard and unappealing would it be to speak when you can't hear the sounds correctly, it may "Tickle" your nose, and you can't close your mouth because you need it to breathe...yikes..I wouldn't talk either :) But don't lose heart...once you get those ear infections and/or fluid cleared up you will most likely soon start to hear those first words. I do feel like I should share that typically children that get their ear infections cleared up prior to...oh...I would say 15-18months usually have a less likely chance of needing speech therapy post-clear up of the infections...however...after 18 months I would recommend speech therapy...I know that may sound scary to some...but trust me speech therapy that is done correctly is fun for your child...and will help them to be able to speak clearly a whole lot faster..which in turn will help reduce some of that frustration that you and your child are probably feeling because its difficult to communicate. Just an FYI...in my opinion early intervention is the key here(birth to 3 years of age)...with early intervention you can help remediate their speech concerns prior to kindergarten...which is very important! Think about it...what happens in kindergarten through 2nd grade? Thats right...children learn to read!! Research has shown that speech difficulties while a child is learning to read can negatively impact their ability to do so successfully...why? Well...in a nutshell...if your child says "nake" for "Snake"...then they will most likely also spell "snake" without the /s/...and have a difficult time reading the word "Snake" if they think it is supposed to be "nake"....does that make sense? Another example...if your child says "wed" for "red"...then they may read the actual word "Wed" and not think "Wedding" but think the color "red"...

Another main cause of a speech delay is a family history of a delay...Why? Well...for example I was born with a small mouth...my mother's mouth...and when I was little my normal sized tongue did not fit well in my extra small oral cavity (aka mouth) so I would often push my tongue against my teeth...I needed therapy to correct that behavior...to train my tongue where to rest...how to stay back when I spoke or when I ate...etc...If your child has your mouth...wouldn't it make sense that if you had a speech delay then your child might also? Not only that...but if you have a family history of ear infections...a small ear canal...fluid on the ears...allergies which cause nasal congestion...etc...then wouldn't your child's experience with these make sense? My dad always says that I remind him of his sister (my aunt Karen) with the way that I move my hands and my fingers...hmmmm...genetics are a funny thing!

There are many more causes...but the main thing is that if you at all have concerns about your child's speech please speak with your pediatrician at your child's next well-child check-up....share your concerns...your pediatrician will probably make a referral for speech-language evaluation...which is a good thing...trust me...think about it....

If your child needs speech then...yep! You did the right thing by bringing up your concerns...and if they don't need speech therapy then you just got a peace of mind that they are within typical limits...either way you made the right decision by voicing your concerns...Its much better to be pro-active with speech than retro-active. As a child develops habits emerge and habits are hard to break...get them in before the habits are formed!!

Take piece in that....God knew and knows every hair on your child's head...and personally formed them..therefore your child is perfect...they are an image of God...and remember Speech Therapy is fun...so get excited if your child is on that path...you will see progress....just remember though that the best therapy for speech is practice...so when your therapist gives you homework...complete the assignments over and over and over again...:)