Language delay

A language delay occurs when a child’s ability to understand and utilize language lags behind that of his or her peers in the same age group. Language delays differ from speech disorders, which occur when a child has trouble pronouncing the distinct components of words or stutters while speaking, even though their understanding of the words and ability to form sentences is not impaired. While there is a wide variability in the timing of particular milestones of language development, a language delay that does not resolve itself by the age of three may signal more serious problem, such as hearing loss, a developmental delay, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

There are two types of language delay: receptive, which involves understanding language and what is being communicated, and expressive, which involves using words to form sentences that convey meaning. Effective communication requires both receptive and expressive language components.

Background

Language delay is a widespread occurrence in childhood, particularly during the toddler years. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that one out of five children will begin speaking later than expected for their age. Oftentimes, a language delay does not signal a serious problem and will resolve on its own with minimal intervention. In some cases, a language delay may be due to auditory impairment, a learning disorder, other developmental delays, or intellectual disabilities.

Another cause of language delays may be psychosocial deprivation, which occurs when a child’s parents or caregivers fail to engage with and speak to the child sufficiently during the first two years of life. Research into the early development of the brain indicates that infants and toddlers have a basic and essential need for direct interaction with their adult caregivers in order to ensure proper cognitive, emotional, and social development. Screen time has also been linked to language delays in infants and toddlers. Based on the potential harm of screen time for young children, the AAP recommends that children under the age of two years should not be exposed to television or other electronic media. After the age of two, the AAP recommends that children should only use electronic media for a maximum of two hours each day and should watch high-quality educational programming. The AAP also advises parents and caregivers share the viewing experience with their children and discuss the content their children are watching.

Another risk factor for language delays is stress endured by the mother during pregnancy. Being a twin also increases the risk of language delay. Language delays can also be a symptom of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Correlations between language delays and male gender, genetics, and the parents’ level of education have also been found.

Overview

Language delays are the most common developmental delay, and most language problems resolve with minimal intervention by the age of three years. However, untreated language delays can have significant consequences later in life, including an increased risk of behavioral problems, lowered academic achievement, failure to graduate from high school, and reduced employment opportunities. By the age of six months, most babies are able to recognize the basic sounds of their native language. By one year of age, most babies will babble with intonation, listen when someone is speaking to them, point to objects that they want, and say at least one word. Between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four months, babies typically learn about one new word every week. By the age of two, most toddlers will be able to say about fifty to one hundred words and will begin to use two- or three-word phrases and sentences. Parents and caregivers can help promote language development in young children by speaking clearly and often to the child, listening and responding to the child’s early babbles and gestures, reading books to the child, and naming common household objects, feelings, and activities.

While there is considerable variation in the timing of these milestones, any delays or regressions should be addressed with the child’s pediatrician. The pediatrician will likely order a hearing test for the child to rule out hearing loss as a cause for the language delay. The pediatrician may then provide a referral to a speech-language therapist or a developmental specialist, who can further evaluate the child’s language abilities, offer enrichment opportunities to address any language delays, and rule out or identify more serious developmental delays that may be impeding the child’s language development.

Verbal communication is a process that occurs in two stages. In the initial stage, messages are broken down into individual words and sentences structured in a way to transmit specific meaning. The next stage is where language is converted into physical commands for the body that enable a person to speak out loud and express words that come together as language. The creation of speech and the understanding of language is a complicated, albeit natural, process. If the process is disrupted at any stage for any reason, the result could be a delay in language development.

Language is the term for verbal, nonverbal, and written communication, whereas speech specifically refers to the verbal expression of language through pronunciation and articulation. Language is both receptive, involving the meaning derived from hearing and understanding speech and gestures, and expressive, involving the specific words selected and spoken to create and convey individual messages. For children to develop the necessary skills to take in and comprehend spoken language, they must have the ability to hear clearly. They also need to have the appropriate cognitive development to be able to understand the meaning of words and how various sentence structures convey different meanings as well as intonations and accentuations. They need the intellectual capacity to process, store, and recall meaning. They must also be physically able to speak so that others can hear and understand, possess a need or interest in communicating with others, and receive positive reinforcement from other people for their attempts to communicate through language. If a child’s receptive language ability fails to fully develop, language learning is slowed early on and delayed development ensues, affecting the child’s ability to listen, converse, follow directions, participate in activities, and so on. If a child’s expressive language ability is delayed, a child may exhibit behavioral problems due to the frustration of not being understood and their needs not being met.

Bibliography

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