Tag Archives: speech therapy

Language Development in Toddlers

Two-year olds are generally talkers, though most of the time we do not even know what they’re saying. However, their words mean something to them. The toddler’s mind is ahead of their mouth literally. Their new motor skills are not coordinated with each other. In the mind of the toddler, all the words are right, but when they try to convert the thought to speech, gibberish comes out. Don’t worry if sometimes they sound like they are saying complete sentences in a foreign language. Most toddlers will gradually get better at forming their words in due time. To assess a … Continue reading →

Causes of Speech and Language Delays

Speech and language delays can be caused by a number of things. This blog will describe the possible causes. Only evaluation by a professional can determine the actual cause of your child’s speech delay. Mental Retardation Children who have some type of mental retardation count for 50% of speech delay cases. According to the American Pediatric Association a child who is mentally retarded “demonstrates global language delay and also has delayed auditory comprehension and delayed use of gestures.” Which means that the child has been continually slower than average in speech development. The child also does not make use of … Continue reading →

Speech and Language Delays

Speech and language are separate things although they usually develop in conjunction with each other. Speech is a child’s ability to say words and express himself verbally. Language is the process of expressing and receiving language in a meaningful way both verbal and non-verbal. Usually a child can understand more than they can speak but by age three speech and language typically catch up to each other. Children who have a speech and language delay cannot express themselves and also have a lower comprehension of other’s speech. This delay is easier for parents to see because not only can their … Continue reading →