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May is Better Speech and Hearing Month |
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May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. This is a great time to take a close look at your child's ability to communicate. Communication disorders affect approximately 46 million Americans. Eight percent to twelve percent of preschool children have some form of speech or language impairment. Research has shown that children with language problems are more at risk for developing reading problems, and many fall below their peers in academic achievement. Parents of children who are slow to speak sometimes hesitate to seek professional advice. Instead, they may justify their child's not talking by saying: "She understands everything we say, or, He'll outgrow it, he's a boy." Because of the enormous variation in what is considered normal, children who are not quite on schedule may not necessarily be delayed, but instead may be following their own individual timetable. However, parents should not rely on assumptions or the fact that some children talk late, but catch-up. How do you know if your child is merely developing language at a slower pace and will catch up? To roughly assess your child's language development over the months, use the following questions as a guide: Does my three-month old child turn to the sound of my voice and other sounds? Does my eight-month-old child imitate speech sounds and use sounds to get attention? Does my eight to twelve month old child look at people who talk to her, and show an interest and intention to communicate? Does my twelve to fifteen month old child have a wide range of speech sounds in her babbling and jargoning. Does she express one or two meaningful words? Does she follow simple requests, such as "Look at the dog," and understand simple questions, such as, "Do you want some more juice?" Does my eighteen-month-old child use at least ten words? Does my eighteen to twenty-four-month old child follow simple, one step requests; such as, Please get the ball? Does my two-year-old child have a vocabulary of fifty or more clear words or word approximations, such as, sue for shoe, and is learning to join two words together? Does she ask simple questions and respond to simple questions with yes and no? Does my two and a half year old child understand simple stories and conversations, and use three words together, such as, "my big blocks?" Does my three-year-old child ask and answer where, what, and who questions? Does she start conversations? Does she use four words phrases and sentences to talk and make requests. Does she follow two step directions, such as "Get the doll and put it in the box." Most experts agree that if your child does not meet the aforementioned conditions within reasonable time limits; if your young child does not seem to be understanding and learning new words; and/or your child suddenly stops talking, you should contact an licensed audiologist for a hearing test and also a licensed Speech/Language Pathologist. A Speech/Language Pathologist is trained to evaluate and treat children and adults with speech or language problems. If your child is a late talker, taking her to a Speech/Language Pathologist may help you to achieve peace of mind when you learn that she is developing normally, or get your child needed help early and possibly avoid future learning and/or behavioral problems. For assistance with finding a private Speech/Language Pathologist in your area, you may contact the American Speech Language Hearing Association at http://www.asha.org or by phone at: (800) 638-8255 or (301) 897-8662; or call your local school district for a free screening or evaluation. It is not necessary to wait until your child is in school, as your local school district or county health department is required to provide appropriate free services for children from birth to age five.
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