Why is the child slow to speak?

Up to 20% of children are slower to speak or use words than their peers. Some children even show behavioral disturbances due to irritability due to their inability to express what they want to say.

Language delay is when a child's language develops in the correct sequence, but at a slower rate. Simple speech delay is sometimes temporary and can be resolved with family support. Parents need to encourage their children to "speak" with gestures or sounds, spend time playing with them, reading books and talking to them. Language delays in young children can also be a manifestation of learning difficulties, often diagnosed only when the child is in school. In some cases, children may need additional professional help.
Sometimes, being slow to speak can be a warning sign of more serious problems. Children with delayed language development are often caused by:
Pathological causes: It may be because the child has problems in the pronunciation organs such as ears, nose, throat (such as hearing loss,...); or the commanding agency has problems (birth defects in the brain, cerebral palsy, sequelae after cerebral hemorrhage, meningitis...). Psychological causes: It may be because the baby is pampered or neglected too much, or a certain event occurs, ... affecting the child's psyche. Children with speech delay due to psychological reasons are increasing. This may be due to the busy modern life that makes parents so caught up in work that they don't have much time with their children. Autism: Slow speech is one of the quite typical signs of autism syndrome. However, children with delayed speech are not always autistic. Autism is a disease of the brain caused by a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by abnormal genes.

Some indicator signs in children with delayed speech at risk of autism:
7 months old : Child still does not respond to loud noises
12 months old:
Child does not try to communicate with others, including Even when you need help or want something, you don't care about the world around you. Doesn't babble, doesn't know a word, such as "mom" or "dad". Does not know how to do movements such as waving goodbye, shaking his head to say no, pointing. Does not respond when called by name. 24 months:
Slowly increasing vocabulary, not yet able to speak 15 words. Children do not speak their own words, but only imitate the words of others, can also speak simple conversations, with sentences of 2 words or more. Does not understand longer instructions or questions Does not use words to communicate, except in an emergency. Does not know how to imitate the actions or words of others. When you know how to play. When looking at books, your baby cannot point to a picture that you name. 3 years old:
Do not use any personal pronouns (child, mother). Can't put words into short sentences, doesn't understand instructions or short questions Speech is very unclear, making it difficult for family members and outsiders to understand, Still stutters frequently (it's hard to make a good sound) words), when he spoke, his face contorted. Little or no interest in story books, No questions asked. Not caring and not interacting with other children, Especially difficult to separate from parents. 4 years old:
Not able to pronounce most consonants fluently. Do not understand the concept of "same" and "different". Not using the pronouns "child" and "mom" correctly.

Children with speech delay can be due to pathological or psychological causes, for effective treatment, finding the exact cause is very important. Delayed speech, if left untreated for a long time, will cause serious effects on children's development and even make it difficult to treat. Therefore, as soon as they notice signs of speech delay in children, parents should take the child to see a pediatrician or psychologist immediately.
Pediatrics Department - Vinmec International General Hospital is highly appreciated by customers for the quality of examination and treatment. Vinmec is one of the few hospitals that has a full range of doctors specializing in neurology, psychological disorders, endocrinology, nutrition.. right at the Pediatric Department and supported by specialized specialties. such as Regenerative Medicine treatment and rehabilitation for children with autism and paralysis. In the case of a child with delayed speech due to autism, Vinmec can be successfully treated with the most advanced method in the world. In addition, Vinmec's psychological clinic is capable of deploying psychological tests and intensive psychotherapy for the best medical examination and treatment.
For all medical examination and treatment needs at Vinmec, please register directly at the website or contact the hotline system for detailed advice.