Understanding Speech Delays: Causes, Signs, and Solutions

What is a speech delay? How do I know if my child has a delay?

A speech delay simply means a child has not yet developed certain speech sounds or has difficulty producing words by certain ages. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association provides milestone information broken down into age ranges, so parents can easily see a checklist of skills their child should be or will be developing based on their age. These milestone charts can be found here: https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones/

Here at Mobile Therapy Centers of America, we offer free developmental screenings because we understand the importance of early detection and support. If you feel your child may have a speech delay, please feel free to reach out to our team.

What causes speech delays?

Speech delays can be caused by environmental factors, such as a lack of exposure to a language-rich environment or insufficient language stimulation, developmental delays, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down syndrome, genetic factors, oral-motor issues (such as weakness or difficulty coordinating the tongue, lips, and jaw), and hearing difficulties (such as chronic ear infections). Although these are some causes of speech delays, sometimes the cause is unknown.

What is the treatment for a speech delay?

Speech therapy can help with speech and/or language delays starting from under the age of 1 to 18 and beyond. Speech therapy sessions can often look like “just playing,” but there is much more involved with the activities, games, and songs chosen by the therapist. We encourage you to speak with your child’s therapist to understand what the sessions look like, what they are trying to elicit and why, as well as what you can do at home to continue to support those speech or language goals.