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Next Steps If Your Child Seems Slow to Hear or Speak
When it comes to hearing and speech, the same principle applies. Without proper hearing, a child cannot respond to sound stimulus. Speech only manifests where sound is appropriately received, and not just that, but made sense of.
This is what happens during the first 3-4 months of life — a child deciphers the sounds emanating from their immediate surroundings. They may not reciprocate the same verbally, but the brain is tuned to somewhat register the different noises. Further along the next 2 months, you may begin to notice babbling sounds which later on progresses to much clearer words.
It is not uncommon to experience delays in such areas. It could be merely a temporal stunt that will overtime fade away. However, certain signs may be potential indicators of serious developmental interruption.
- Hearing impairment – when your child seems to constantly have to move closer to the TV.
- Inattentiveness – not responding to your voice.
- If your child seems to communicate more with gestures than with words.
- Lack of reflex actions- not crying when the door is shut loudly, for example.
- Structural defects, the most popular being a tongue-tie.
What Actions to Take
1. Set an appointment with a speech-language pathologist
This will tell whether your child needs early intervention therapy or not. Several tests are done before concluding. You may want to ask your doctor all the possible questions and get clarity for your concerns.
2. Make a referral
From this point, a service provider is assigned to verify whether indeed your child is eligible for special care. Upon qualification, immediate treatment can start.
3. Prepare for the initial visit
This is done for formal acquaintance. As a parent, you want to express your expectations and hear how practical it is to achieve the same. Also, get to know what kind of support is needed from your end.
4. Get your child’s medical records in check
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If you live in South Carolina and think your infant or child is experiencing developmental delays, we can help.
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