Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

UI Family Care Centers

Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Speech problems in children

One in every 10 to 15 children has trouble with language comprehension and/or speech. Hearing problems, low intelligence, or lack of verbal stimulation at home may interfere with the development of speech.

Children with older siblings or one child in a set of twins may not talk because others talk for them. Early detection is critically important. Early intervention may prevent the problem from interfering with learning in other areas.

Here are some basic guidelines:

• If the child is not babbling or using his own language by 15 to 18 months of age, see your pediatrician.
• If by age 3, the child is mostly using vowels or omitting the beginning sounds in words, or other people cannot understand what the child is saying, see a speech therapist. By age 8 all speech sounds should be mastered.
• Between ages 3 and 4 years stuttering is common. Most children grow out of repeating sounds and hesitating between words. When the pattern exists longer than 2 or 3 months and interferes with communication, this is called stuttering. Parents should ignore stuttering and not correct the child. Severe stuttering should receive speech therapy to avoid a long-term problem.
• Nodules on the vocal cords can cause hoarseness. Nose breathing while speaking and hoarseness should be evaluated.
• Babbling that stops after a brief period may be a sign of a hearing disorder. Frequent ear infections can affect hearing and delay speech. Have a hearing test performed on your infant or child.

Encourage speech development by talking and reading to your child. Talk all the time. Sing songs to your baby and keep the vocabulary and sentence length at your child's level. Reading helps to improve vocabulary, sequencing, and attention span. Remember, early intervention gives the best results for a speech problem.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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