Knowing how to assist a child who has speech and sound issues can be challenging for parents. They frequently have a greater understanding of their child’s speech than people who just see the child sometimes. However, there are times when they may also find it quite difficult to understand what their child is saying. Stress, dissatisfaction, and even feelings of embarrassment may result from this.
In this article, we outline a few different methods that parents and guardians can support a child who has difficulty speaking or understanding words. Let’s quickly review speech sound issues and the difference between a speech delay and a speech problem before we move on.
Speech Sound Difficulties: What are they?
Kids gradually learn how to pronounce various speech sounds as they begin to learn how to talk. A child beginning to speak will frequently make blunders with speech sounds. It’s true that all regularly developing children produce a certain type of speech sound mistake.
Children are already anticipated to master certain speaking sounds by a certain age. A child’s speech could be abnormal or delayed for their age. Please read our blog post about the typical speech sound turn of events for more information.
Speech Delay: What Is It?
Speech delay is the term used to describe a child who has delayed speech or a speech sound disorder and who is developing their speech sounds later than predicted.
Speech disorders: what are they?
A child with a speech sound disorder or disordered speech makes speech sound errors that don’t follow a predictable pattern or they may use a wide range of difficult-to-understand speech sound faults.
Tips on the most proficient method to help a kid with speech sound difficulties
1) Offer a credible example
If your child makes a speech sound error while uttering a word, do everything it takes to avoid telling them immediately away that they erred. Be careful not to say things like, “No, that’s right, say it again. Try not to say TAR, say CAR.” All things considered, rephrase the word and lengthen it a bit to emphasize the proper speech sound using your voice to present a respectable example. Make an effort to repeat the word a few times in succinct forms.
Before a child can pronounce a word correctly, they may need to repeatedly hear you say it. When you provide your child a good example, they start to pay attention to proper speech. They are impliedly being changed, but they are not required to repeat the word. As a result, they won’t feel completely confused and lose confidence when speaking because they won’t feel like they did something wrong.
2) Hold conversations in a special setting
More context-rich conversations will give you more opportunities to explicitly teach your child target words. In most cases, it will be much easier to grasp what your child is saying if you start talking about the current time and place. This has many opportunities during breaks. Numerous routine activities, such as taking a shower, getting dressed, and getting ready for bed, can also establish the scene. Assuming that your child makes mistakes, be careful to repeat words and emphasize the proper speech sounds rather than informing them of their errors.
3) Slap the ears
You might understand if your child repeats what they said if you weren’t able to hear what they said the first time. By accusing your ears, make an attempt to seek redundancy in a favorable way. For instance, you might ask, “Could you please repeat that? That’s what my ears missed.” similar to “my elderly ears didn’t hear you.” To kindly suggest that you think your child should repeat, place your hand behind your ear. Assuming responsibility for your child’s lack of understanding can help to maintain their confidence and reduce their hesitation to repeat the same behavior.
4) Attempt to explain the point.
Due to the fact that children typically inform you of events that are not now taking place, there are times when you will have no idea what your child is talking about. It can help to clarify the subject to which your child is referring. Ask them yes/no questions about what they say to you, such as, “Would you say you are educating me about something at playschool? Would you say you are illuminating me regarding something in the room?” When you understand what your child has said, repeat it to them so that they hear the words being spoken correctly and understand. Contact the best speech and language therapy and Child Occupational Therapy for your child.
