The Causes of Speech Delay in Children

There can be various causes of the speech delay in our children. Your youngster may be unable to form words appropriately if they have a physical disability. Alternatively, your child’s internal communication system may be unable to transmit a message from the brain to the mouth because of processing difficulties.

Consider these criteria if you are concerned about your child’s verbal skills or language knowledge. Speech and language deficits can be caused by any one of these factors.

Disabilities due to Illness or Disease

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Oral disabilities that hinder speech include, but are not limited to, cleft palates. It’s possible to have an abnormally short frenulum, a fold that holds the tongue to the lower mouth.

Your child’s pediatrician is more likely to discover physical issues like this before your youngster begins to communicate verbally. You might not notice them until your child exhibits signs of delayed speech or is taken to the dentist.

Patients with Oral-Motor Disorder

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The brain parts involved in speech production are often dysfunctional in children with speech difficulties. This may be attributed to issues like apraxia of speech in childhood (CAS).

Your child may have difficulty regulating the muscles and parts of their body they utilize to talk in this situation. For example, they may not be able to produce particular words because their lips, tongue, or jaw don’t move the way they “should.” Speech problems of this type can occur on their own or in conjunction with other disorders of the oral-motor system. For example, some children with speech difficulties have difficulty eating.

Delay in Growth and Development

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Other delays in a child’s development could explain a speech delay. Of course, each child progresses at their speed and reaches milestones. However, if you observe that other abilities and skills are also developing slowly, you should speak with your pediatrician about having an examination done.

Keep a close eye on your child’s development to see if their motor, verbal, and cognitive skills are appropriate for their age. Delays in language development can lead to speech difficulties, such as speaking very little (or not at all), not understanding what others say, or just repeating what others say.

Ear Infections

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Speech delays are frequently linked to hearing difficulties. This is why an audiologist should check their hearing whenever there is a worry about a child’s speech.

Having a hearing impairment might make it difficult for a child to hear and understand what others are saying. As a result, language comprehension and assimilation are hampered. In addition, it stops the youngster from correctly mimicking words and fluently using language.

Inflammation of the Ears

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Before their third birthday, it is all too usual for children to experience multiple ear infections. To be clear, a child’s chances of developing hearing loss or speech delay are not increased just because they are sick.

Your child’s chances of developing speech issues are not increased by a simple ear infection that clears up on its following treatment. However, chronic infections can affect one’s ability to speak.

Inflammation and infection in the middle ear are the hallmarks of these infections. Typical therapies may not be effective, and the illness may repeatedly return within a short period of time. If your child fits this description, your pediatrician may prescribe an ENT expert or suggest ear tubes for your child.