Language delay
In the second stage, language is translated into motor commands that control the articulators (hands, face, body, lungs, vocal cords, mouth, tongue, teeth, etc.
They are presented in a variety of ways, as every individual child has a unique set of language skills and deficiencies that are identifiable through many different screenings and tools.
The Broca's area is the motor portion of language at the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus and involves speech production.
The Wernicke's area is the sensory portion of language at the posterior part of the left superior temporal gyrus and involves auditory verbal comprehension.
[6] Around 15 months, toddlers begin to produce jargon,[6] which is defined as "pre-linguistic vocalizations in which infants use adult-like stress and intonation".
However, proper testing by a professional like a speech therapist or a doctor's confirmation will be required to determine if a child has language delay.
[11] Some expressive language skills include putting words together into sentences, being able to label objects in an environment and describing events and actions.
[12] They may have trouble with receptive language skills such as identifying vocabulary and basic concepts, understanding gestures, following directions and answering questions.
Some may have difficulty with using the correct words and vocabulary, some have trouble forming sentences and others are unable to sequence information together coherently.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), formal screening for language delay is recommended at three ages: 9, 18, and 24–30 months.
[15] However, the US Preventive Services Task Force (last updated in 2015) has determined that there is insufficient evidence to recommend screening for language delay in children under the age of 5.
[23][24] Socio-economic status Children from families of low educational level are more likely to have delays and difficulties in expressive language.
[27] Poverty is also a high risk factor for language delay as it results in a lack of access to appropriate therapies and services.
[28] The likelihood of those requiring early intervention for language delays actually receiving help is extremely low compared to those that don't actually need it.
[29] For example, they may struggle with putting sentences together, understanding speech from other people or using the correct grammar,[30] which are some language skills that typically developing children possess.
[33] Asperger syndrome, which is classified under the broad umbrella term of autistic spectrum disorder, however, is not associated with language delay.
In 2005, researchers found a connection between expressive language delay and a genetic abnormality: a duplicate set of the same genes that are missing in individuals with Williams-Beuren syndrome.
[41] The environmental factors that influences both twins also play a big role in causing early language delay, but only when it is transient.
[41] Gender Research has shown that boys are at greater risk for delayed language development than girls.
[42] Perinatal conditions There is a high prevalence of early language delay among toddlers with neonatal brachial plexus palsy.
[44] Hand usage and gestures are part of the motor system and have been proven correlate to comprehension and production aspects in language development.
They also seem to not provide an environment that is suitable for child engagement, nor do they establish routines that serve as a platform for communicative acts with their children.
[50] Birth Order First-born children grow up in an environment that provides more possibilities of communicative interaction with adults, which differs from what is experienced by their younger siblings.
[54] Studies have failed to find clear evidence that a language delay can be prevented by training or educating health care professionals in the subject.
These therapists can be found in schools, clinics, through home care agencies, and also colleges where Communication Sciences and Disorders are studied.
[56] Social and play skills appear to be more difficult for children with language delays due to their decreased experience in conversation.
Speech pathologists utilize methods such as prompting to improve a child's social skills through play intervention.
While recent studies have consistently found play intervention to be helpful, further research is required in order to determine the effectiveness of this form of therapy.
It is also mentioned in a study that animals are a good source of therapy for children with special needs in areas including communication skills.
[59] Parents have the ability to maintain language delay by offering the child a non-verbal environment or one where their communication may not be challenged.
