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Small language defects: most often harmless
He lisp, his little flute voice melts you. He says “yapin” for “rabbit”, the “fear” for the “train”, he evades the “rs”. These little pronunciation defects called joint disorders are very common in young children. Some people twist the words and say “the bagoire” for “the bathtub”. This is called a speech delay. Others speak “baby”, with a simplified syntax (“me fallen, bobo there”) and are slow to develop sentences.. However, no need to worry for 3 years. These small defects accompany language learning and fade naturally during the first year of kindergarten, with a few months lag for children born at the end of the year. If he still pronounces badly at 4 years old, he must be helped. This is not serious in itself, but if the faults are not corrected before entering the first year of primary school, they could hinder the child in his learning to read and hinder his integration into the big leagues.
Find the origin of his language defect
Sucking your thumb or pacifier again can cause speech defects. He places his tongue badly: hypotonic, it goes forward instead of going up towards the palate, which prevents it from emitting certain sounds, in particular the “j” and the “ch”. Another cause: he does not want to leave his baby life. Besides, mom finds it cute, this little language defect. She never takes it back. The youngest children often speak later and worse than their elders. He’s trying to get your attention. When a defect appears in a child who spoke well before, it is often a sign of a disorder that he cannot express otherwise. This is particularly the case with stuttering. Finally, it can be related to the fact that he thinks faster than he speaks. Around 4-5 years old, language acquisition experiences a new acceleration phase, with a lot of new words and, on the part of the child, a need to express his thoughts and desires. In the more emotional, this can lead to a phase of “natural” stuttering. If you don’t pay too much attention, the problem will often resolve itself after a few months..
Help your child speak better
First of all, at home, stimulate his speech. Talk to him, tell him stories and encourage him to express himself. Take the time to listen to it (a child who is cut off because he or she does not speak fast enough may start to stutter). Don’t crystallize his little problem by emphasizing it every time he opens his mouth, or by telling everyone in front of him. Also, talk to him like an adult, avoiding vocabulary and “baby” phrases. Correct his pronunciation when he twists a word, utter a full sentence when he arranges his words badly, but don’t force him to repeat after you. Do not insist, just make him hear the word spoken correctly.
When to see a speech therapist?
The speech therapist can draw up a speech therapy assessment with a child from 3 years old. In general, it is only when the defects persist at 4 years that he decides to take the child into care. A medical prescription allows reimbursement of sessions. We start with thirty sessions, renewable as needed.