3 signs your child needs a speech therapist

Having a child is one of the greatest experiences you will have in your life . From the moment you know that you are expecting a baby and for the rest of its entire existence, it is normal that you want to give it your best. However, you will be constantly living new experiences, so together you will live new moments and you will have to learn and adapt to them in order to overcome them in the best possible way.

Therefore, as your child grows, you will go through new stages that you must learn to handle . From his first steps, until he says his first words, accompanied by all the best education that, as parents, you can give him at home and all the aspects related to the basic needs of the child that you must cover, such as having an adapted room, the necessary clothes for each season of the year, some studies and the attention and the time it will require from you so that you can be happy together.

However, it is possible that during this period of growth you will have to face situations that you did not expect. For example, when he begins to speak, you should be very patient. Each child has a different rhythm and if you speak more than one language at home, he may need more time to adjust to them and begin to communicate correctly.

Your child may still have difficulty communicating after two or three years of age, mispronouncing words or being unable to say them completely. In these cases you should go to a health professional to determine if it is a normal part of their growth process or if you should go to a child speech therapist so they can guide you on how to help the child communicate correctly.

Discover some of the signs that could indicate that your child needs a child speech therapist and take him to the health professional, so that he can give him the assistance he needs and help him pronounce the words correctly and speak with precision .

1. YOUR CHILD HAS USED THE PACIFIER FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS

The fact that children use the pacifier for a longer time, after two years of age, can cause the position of their incisor teeth to be altered, both those of the upper jaw and those of the lower jaw. This, over time, can pose a problem when it comes to pronouncing the words correctly.

Remember that to speak we position the tongue in different places in the mouth , which helps us to produce the various sounds that make up each of the languages ​​we speak. However, if the teeth are not in the proper position, this can interfere with how the sound is going to come out of your resonance box, your mouth. So if your child has used the pacifier for too long, this may have affected the position of his teeth and he probably needs the help of a child speech therapist to learn how to pronounce the sounds of his tongue properly.

2. THERE ARE DENTAL PROBLEMS IN CLOSE RELATIVES

The way the teeth are distributed in the mouth is usually inherited . So if a direct relative, such as parents, uncles or grandparents, have had problems with their teeth and the proper pronunciation of words, this may also directly affect the child.

Do not hesitate to consult with a dentist or orthodontist if the distribution of the teeth or the position of the jaw of your child is correct. In some cases, a device can be fitted to solve this problem, when he is older, so that the position of the teeth can be corrected and, with the help of a child speech therapist, he can learn to pronounce the sounds of his tongue correctly.

3. DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID OR HAS TROUBLE EXPRESSING HIMSELF

After three years of age, most children are able to communicate properly. Although each case is different, at this stage in his life your child may not be able to articulate intelligible words or phrases or may not understand well what is being said. It will then be the right time to take him to a child speech therapist, who will determine the reasons why the child cannot communicate properly and will be able to use the necessary methods to help him do so.

Sometimes, not only does the child have problems expressing himself orally, but he also has difficulties in reading and writing , something that will possibly become latent when he is older in school, where he will be required to write and read so daily. In these cases you should also go to a child speech therapist, as well as if the child stutters or has difficulty in constructing sentences with complete meaning, even if they can say single words.