Signs of Speech & Language Disorders

Speech disorder is a condition for a child who is not able to communicate with others in verbal sentences or having a problem forming a speech sound needed to communicate that can make the child’s speech difficult to understand.

Common speech disorders are:

Apraxia which is a motor speech disorder caused by a brain damage that is related to speaking.

Dysarthria which is a motor speech disorder that is caused by the muscles of the mouth, face or respiratory system which is making it easy to speak correctly.

Signs of speech and language disorders at different stages of development:

Birth and older	They don't interact with others or smile.
4-7 months	​Does not babble
7-12 months	Makes only few sounds or gestures, like pointing
​7 months -2 years	Does not understand what do you say
12-18 months	Can say few words
18 months - 2 years	Words are not easily understood
1.5 years -3 years	Not able to make a full sentence
2- 3 years	Facing problems with playing and talking with others. Having troubles with early reading and writing skills. Not able to express themselves.

What Parents Can Do

• Listen and respond to your child

• Talk, read, and play with your child

• Talk with your child in the language you are most comfortable using

• Know it is good to teach your child to speak a second language

• Talk about what you are doing and what your child is doing

• Use a lot of different words with your child

• Use longer sentences as your child gets older

• Have your child play with other children (ASHA,2013-2021)