“Speech is the single most powerful way for a child to interact with her environment,” says Heather Boerner, a Paediatric speech-language pathologist. Normally, a toddler uses speech to demand for things they want, protest, engage and even communicate.
The ideal age for your child to start talking is 18 months. But, if they have not start talking, should you be worried? Well, remember that every child is different and some may talk faster while some others are slower.
How To Deal With Parental Pressure
Don’t you just hate it when other parents are really inconsiderate? There are some parents out there who compare their children to other children. It is really insensitive and improper to point out a child’s developmental differences.
If you are guilty of such behaviour, check yourself!
Remember, children are growing at their own pace and way. This is how you should respond when you are in a situation like this:
- Try to be positive
- Avoid negativity
- Pay more attention to your child
- Do not start comparing your child
Ways To Boost Children’s Speech Development
- Communicate to your children as an adult.
- Do not use baby talk!
- Read books and tell them stories daily.
- Sing to your children.
- Avoid mobile or gadgets for babies.
- Repeat the words you want your children to understand.
- Use short sentences while talking.
According to Spectrum Speech, your child will start to understand phrases at 18 months, but will still not be able to construct a sentence. They should be able to pick up a few words and recognise objects!
However, there are some things that you should take note of your child’s speech development which may lead to speech delay, autism and others.
- 9 months – your child has yet to babble or she babbles with few or no consonant sounds.
- 12 months – your child looks at what he wants but does not use gestures, like pointing, to show you what he desires.
- 16 months – you have not heard your child’s first words yet.
- 24 to 30 months – your child has yet to speak two-word phrases (like “more cookie”).
- 36 months – your child only speaks single-syllable words with no final consonants (“ca” for cat, “beh” for bed). She does not ask questions, either, and has frequent tantrums when she is not heard.
Educate yourself by reading this article about your child’s timeline. It will be able to guide you on your child’s development and you should be able to know when the time is right or otherwise.
If your child’s development is in sync with the timeline, you have nothing to fret about!
But, if you suspect that your child does not respond to you when you talk, do not delay making an appointment with a doctor. Early check-ups are always the best way to cater to your child’s needs!
