6 most burning questions related to speech delay.

In recent times, cases of speech delay have increased day by day. As parents are worried about the prognosis of this condition. Here are answers to some FAQs by parents of children with speech delay

1. Why my child is not speaking- there can be different reasons for a child not speaking It may be a defect with oral structure, hearing difficulty, environment stimulation, exposure to long-term screens, and neurodevelopmental conditions like Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy
2. What is the difference between speech Delay and Autism- Speech Delay is a symptom that occurs due to many causes, autism being one of them. In speech delay, the child has difficulty speaking but tries to communicate in nonverbal ways. In autism, the child is preoccupied with interests and shows no interest in the environment, hence finding no need to communicate.
3. Can parents cause speech delay- As a child needs early stimulation in speech and concept learning, if the child is unattended at home, not much interaction is happening with the child, it can lead to a speech delay
4. IS speech delay permanent- Depends on the underlying cause
5. At what age should you worry about a child not talking- BY the age of 2, if the child is not saying a meaningful word, is not able to imitate sounds or words, or does not understand instruction. The child needs to take intervention from a speech therapist.
6. What can be done at home to overcome this issue- Encourage the child to interact, discourage gestures, stop understanding their nonverbal language, and encourage them to produce relevant sounds and words. Give them a lot of vocabulary about object names, place names, person names, and what others are doing.

Parents need to have patience and a good understanding of their child’s profile. There have been recent advances in the treatment of children with special needs which have targeted interventions. Consistency in these targeted direction is key to success.