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Toddler Talking
Common Speech Problems in Young Children By Jacqueline Bodnar
"I find quite often that the length of the lingual frenum, the attachment under the tongue, is extremely short or tight, which limits a child's ability to elevate the tongue for certain sounds," says Coulson. "This is often overlooked by the pediatrician, dentist or speech pathologist."
There are many reasons for speech delays, including cleft palate, accidents, mental retardation and psychosocial deprivation. The treatment method varies depending on the source of the problem. Some of the more common speech delays and problems can be caused by these factors:
- Hearing problems. Even if your child passed a newborn screening it's important to test again to rule out a hearing impairment.
- Stuttering. According to the Stuttering Foundation of America, around 60 percent of those that stutter have a family member that does as well, suggesting a genetic link. They also report that around 20 percent of children go through a stuttering period.
- Siblings. "Sometimes if the child has an older sibling who speaks for him he has no need to produce articulate sounds," says Coulson. Encourage your child to speak for himself instead.
- Tonsils. Having large tonsils can cause a delay in speech because the tongue is pushed forward, making it difficult to make sounds.
- Allergies. Frequent allergy problems can play a role in speech delay. "If a child is often congested, [then] hearing can be affected, the mouth rests open, the tongue rests forward and can become quite flaccid," says Coulson.
Speech Milestones
