Developmental Delay: Signs to Watch Out for and Speech Therapy Intervention
Developmental delays in children are often overlooked until later in childhood. Identifying these delays and starting therapy as early as possible significantly affects a child’s growth and development. One important area where delays are often noticed is in speech and communication. Therefore, starting speech therapy, Mississauga area specifically, is important. Instead of worrying about your child’s development, get to know the signs to watch out for so you can start speech therapy in Mississauga, and other areas around the GTA, as soon as possible.
Development Delay Signs to Look for
Late in Hitting Speech Milestones
Normally, kids start speaking around their first birthday. By this time, they speak their first words and progress towards making simple sentences at two years old. If your child is not yet saying anything at one year old or continues to say single words only by 2, then it might indicate speech delay.
Less Words in their Vocabulary
Aside from being able to form simple sentences by two years old, by this time children should have about 50 to 100 words in their vocabulary. Should you notice that your child has less than this, it may suggest a delay in language development
Struggling to Understand Language
A delay in receptive language skills may be indicated by poor ability in following of simple instructions. Likewise, it is also suspected if your child seems to not understand everyday words and simple vocabulary. Consider a professional assessment at this point.
Pronunciation Issue
Unclear and difficult to understand speech is also something to watch out for. Similarly, if your child consistently substitutes sounds then it could be a sign of a speech sound disorder.
Less Social Interaction
Speech impacts social skills. If your child finds it hard to connect with friends and family during play or conversation, then a speech delay may be suspected.
Role of Speech Therapy, Mississauga and Other Areas
Speech therapy is an effective way to overcome developmental delays and improve communication abilities. Speech therapists in Mississauga provide individualized interventions to help children with various speech and language difficulties. Best to start as early in life as possible, here’s how speech therapy can help your child with developmental delay:
Individualized Assessment: A speech therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine particular areas of delay. This assessment assists in developing a personalized therapy plan that addresses the child’s specific needs.
Speech therapists utilize targeted exercises and activities to improve speech clarity, vocabulary, and comprehension. Articulation exercises, vocabulary-building games, and language comprehension tasks are all possible activities.
Enhanced Communication Skills: Therapy aims to improve both expressive (speaking) and receptive (comprehending) language skills. This thorough method ensures that youngsters improve their communication talents.
Parental Guidance: Speech therapists recommend tactics and exercises that parents can employ at home to help their child’s development. This partnership ensures consistency and reinforces learning beyond therapy sessions.
Speech therapy can help with social skills development by enhancing communication. Children learn to converse, make requests, and express themselves more effectively.
SpeechLink is Here to Help, Speech Therapy Mississauga
Early intervention is essential for children developmental delays. If you feel your kid has speech or language delay, get in touch with us. We are a team of speech therapists in Mississauga and we can help your child improve their language and communication abilities. Schedule your speech and language assessment with us today, and start your speech therapy journey right away.