EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION
DISORDERS
If a child displays one of the following
behaviors, it does not necessarily mean that speech development is
abnormal. It is suggested, however, that
parents contact a speech pathologist for a professional evaluation if any of
the statements below describe their child.
·
The child is not talking at all by age two.
·
Speech is difficult to understand after age three.
·
The child omits many beginning sounds after age three.
·
The child uses mostly vowel sounds when speaking after
age three.
·
There are many substitutions of easy sounds for
difficult ones at age five.
·
Word endings are often dropped after age five.
·
Words are left out, mixed up, or ungrammatical in
sentences at five.
·
The child has difficulty with any speech sounds at age
seven.
·
The child displays frequent repetitions of sounds or
words, prolongations of sounds, blocks on words or other stuttering
behavior. (Remember that a certain
amount of disfluency around age 3-4 is considered normal.) These behaviors may or may not be
accomplished by struggling behavior, avoidance, anxiety, tension and facial
grimaces.
·
At any age the child is embarrassed or disturbed by
his speech.
