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This
series was written in consultation with Rachel Bromberg, MACCSLP
- Speech and Language Therapist
The results of the checklist
should give you some indication of how your child is doing
compared to other children his age. His ability to do well
on this checklist does not guarantee that he does not have
a language problem, but it does let you know if he is developing
at least some age appropriate speech and language skills.
- DON'T
WORRY -- Remember the checklist is a tool to help
you decide if you should have your child evaluated. Even
if he has trouble with some or most of the questions, this
does not mean that there is a problem.
- SPEAK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN.
Your pediatrician is not just
there for illness and broken bones. Tell your pediatrician
that you are concerned about your child's language development.
You can show him the checklist and point out areas in which
your child is having difficulty. Check that there is no physical
reason for any lag in development.
While I definitely recommend
going to the pediatrician as a first step, I must also point
out that not every pediatrician is an expert in child development.
Some doctors are excellent at diagnosing every rare form of
childhood disease, but do not jump to deal with possible developmental
delays in the hope that the child will "grow out of it"
without treatment. I worked for many years as a pre-school
special education teacher. I cannot count the number of parents
who told me they did not seek treatment for their child because
their pediatrician told them "not to worry."
Some pediatricians are developmental
experts. If your pediatrician is, then consider yourself lucky
and follow his instructions. If you are not certain that your
pediatrician is also an expert in the field of developmental
delay, then I would suggest consulting with the following
professionals:
- CONSULT
WITH AN AUDIOLOGIST - Take your child for a hearing
test!
An audiologist is the
professional who tests your child's hearing.
A HEARING TEST IS AN ESSENTIAL
PART OF ANY SCREENING FOR LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES.
If a child cannot hear properly,
then he will not develop appropriate language. Even if you
are positive that your child hears properly, this test is
still essential. Sometimes a child can only hear at certain
frequencies. In this situation, the child might hear fine
at home, but have trouble hearing in locations where there
is more background noise, such as pre-school. If a hearing
problem is discovered, this can be the source of a child's
problem and then the most important task may be to work on
the hearing difficulty. Ask your pediatrician to recommend
an audiologist with experience working with young children
and the facilities to work with children your child's age.
- SPEAK TO YOUR CHILD'S
TEACHER OR DAY CARE PROVIDER.
If your child is enrolled in
a formal pre-school program, then your child's teacher is
one of the best first stops for getting information and relieving
possible concerns. If you feel confidant that your child's
teacher is experienced and has a good feel for your child,
then ask her how she feels about your child's language development.
Do not assume that because your child's teacher has not approached
you about a problem, she does not feel any problem exists.
Some teachers are very hesitant to approach parents about
potential problems unless the problem reaches significant
proportions. If your child has an experienced teacher and
she is not concerned, then likely as not, there is nothing
to worry about
- HAVE YOUR CHILD EVALUATED
BY A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST.
The bottom line for ruling out
any risk of a language difficulty is taking your child to
a speech and language therapist for a formal evaluation. Choose
a speech and language therapist that specializes in children
your child's age. Just as most people take their children
to see a pediatrician and not a general practitioner (although
there are G.P.'s who are great with children), you need a
speech and language therapist who specializes in young children.
- NO CHILD IS TOO YOUNG
TO SEE A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST.
There are speech and language
therapists whose specialty is working with children in neo-natal
intensive care units and other newborns. Try and get recommendations
from your pediatrician or from other parents.
You can help the therapist by providing
him or her with as much information as possible about your child.
Bring the results of your child's hearing test and even feel free
to show the therapist the results of the Early
Childhood Speech and Language Development Checklist.
The therapist will evaluate your
child in all areas of language development, speech (articulation
and voice quality), receptive language and expressive language.
(For an explanation of these terms, see What
Does the Term Speech and Language Development Really Mean?)
She will be able to tell you if your child's language development
is fine for his age, whether there are areas in which your
child's development is slightly delayed and if he may require
speech and language therapy to help improve his language development.
If the speech and language therapist
feels that your child does require speech and/or language
therapy, then she will design a program of therapy that is
specifically suited to work on your child's problems. A good
therapist is always happy to talk to parents and explain what
this program is and usually can also give the parents suggestions
for additional activities to work on specific problems at
home. She will also be regularly available to speak to parents
(at reasonable hours and lengths of course) about any concerns
relating to their child's difficulties and progress.
The most important thing that
you should do if you are concerned about your child's speech
and language development is to take action. Young children
usually respond quickly to therapy, so the earlier you start
dealing with a problem, the easier it will be for your child
to progress. If you take your child for an evaluation and
it turns out there is no difficulty, well then you can sit
back, relax and cross the issue off your list of worries.
In the next section of this series,
we will give you some answers to Commonly
Asked Questions About Speech and Language Problems in Young Children.
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