Children's Speech and Language Problems: When Does a Child Need Speech Therapy?

Speech Therapy for Children

Sometimes children have problems saying certain sounds or words making it hard for others to understand what they're trying to say. Some children will grow out of the problem themselves, while others will need to see a speech or language therapist to remedy the problem.

Children's Speech Therapists/Pathologists: Types of Speech and Language Problems

Speech pathologists, also called speech therapists, can help children of all ages with different speech and language problems. Some of the most common speech and language problems kids have are:

• Articulation: Trouble saying certain sounds words correctly
• Resonance or voice disorders: When the vocal quality of an individual is altered/changed in such a way that it is thought to be abnormal to the listener.
• Language disorders: Difficulty understanding people or having trouble putting words together to express thoughts.
• Fluency disorders: Repeating certain sounds and/or having trouble saying a complete word. Stuttering is a fluency disorder.

How Do I know if My Child Needs Speech Therapy?

A speech or language problem that isn't treated on time can result in serious problems for the child later in life. If you suspect your child has a speech or language problem, contact your local doctor, hospital or health agency for information about having a speech therapist assess your child.
Some medical conditions that make it difficult for children to speak are:

• hearing impairment
• weak muscles around the mouth
• cleft lip or palate
• autism
• breathing disorder
• swallowing disorder