Every child is unique and has a different pace of learning. This fact also concerns developing communication skills, which include language and speech production. Several communication stages can be highlighted in the process of acquiring them. First, before 12 months, children should usually recognize sounds, voices, understand some simple words, and also produce some sounds (Adamson, 2018). Next, up to 15 months, they learn babbling sounds, show understanding of one-step directions, and repeat the sounds they hear (Adamson, 2018). When they are two years old, they can follow two-step requests and connect two words for making up sentences (Adamson, 2018). Finally, when a toddler is three years old, they should understand the difference and command colors, sizes, making up full sentences to express their thoughts. Disruptions in any stage can be adequately addressed to stimulate the child to develop.
Speech and language are the components of communication, and although these two concepts are somewhat different, they usually overlap. The former is the pronunciation of the sounds, in other words, articulation, while the latter includes verbal, non-verbal, and written expressions as a whole (Adamson, 2018). In such a way, speech disorders are characterized by difficulty in pronunciation of the words and individual sounds. If children at the age of 18 months have a problem imitating the sounds, they probably have speech disorders (Adamson, 2018). Moreover, some kids might prefer to use gestures to convey their ideas rather than words and sentences. Similarly, if there are some obstacles in telling the full terms, but rather keep imitating sounds at the age of 2 years, it also should grow some concern. These are the signs of speech disorders in the early age of youngsters.
Contrastingly, language problems are more concerned about interaction issues. First and foremost, the baby develops skills of interaction by using gestures. Hence, if the child does not respond to such simple signs like waving for goodbye, it can be the reason for concern. Some individual toddlers may also have problems linking the names of the objects to their matter, which most likely implies the difficulties of comprehension (Kapantzoglou, Fergadiotis, & Restrepo, 2018). Second, kids by the age of 2, who cannot convey their needs, and keep repeating specific word instead are also subjects for medical interest (Kapantzoglou et al., 2018). Third, the youngster who cannot follow the directions can also have problems in their language skills (Kapantzoglou et al., 2018). However, of course, this factor should be carefully segregated from simple disobedience, which is a frequent case in children. Generally, at the age of 4, children usually have a good command of the language, which helps them to be understood by people not familiar to them.
There are numerous techniques to help children and their parents to tackle the problems of speech and language. Usually, they are prescribed and monitored by professional pathologists. Articulation therapy is concentrated on the development of sound-producing ability (Kapantzoglou et al., 2018). These are needed for children who cannot pronounce the words explicitly but generally have excellent interaction skills. Oral motor therapy is used to strengthen oral muscles for training them to speak for more extended periods (Kapantzoglou et al., 2018). More specifically, Lee Silverman Speech Therapy often appointed for the patients who need comprehensive treatment in speech skills, language production, and perception abilities (Kapantzoglou et al., 2018). The therapies are usually exceptionally successful and help the patients recover from their problems by giving them a chance to lead fulfilling lives. After the treatment, children can speak fluently, and later, there is no evidence of their past disabilities except for the medical records.
References
Adamson, L. (2018). Communication development during infancy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kapantzoglou, M., Fergadiotis, G., & Restrepo, M. (2017). Language sample analysis and elicitation technique effects in bilingual children with and without language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(10), 2852-2864. Web.