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Some children encounter difficulties in their oral communication from their early years. They speak little, even use gibberish incomprehensible to others. Parents don’t really know how to react on a daily basis. How can they help their child? Caroline Bouilhol, speech therapist in liberal, gives advice in the book she co-wrote with Estelle Duchaussoy and Marion Ribeyre, “ I help my child to speak well », Published by Eyrolles.
The language of children under 3 years old
At birth, language, communication, and psychosocial and emotional development are interdependent. The child begins to communicate by cries, babbling and each little sound emitted allows him to develop the organs that will allow him to speak: the mouth, the larynx, the lungs, the nose and the throat. All these elements will come together to allow him to interact with those around him. The first words appear around 12 months. The child then enriches his vocabulary until he goes through a phase called “holophrase” at 2 years old where he uses word-sentences. The appropriation of the “I” appears later, in general, around 3 years old.
The language of the child from 4 to 6 years old
The child of this age is slowly beginning to the first chords between noun and adjective, he uses approximate words, the syntax becomes more complex with the appearance of relative and he is able to conjugate the verbs in simple times. From the age of 6, he is able to recite the alphabet and take an interest in the real meaning of words. Most of the time, he asks to learn to read, masters the chords of irregular verbs better and better, he knows how to say his name, his age and his address, expresses himself clearly.
Language delay in children
A language delay is not necessarily a disorder, but rather a lag in language development. In practice, the child communicates verbally, but his expression is below his actual age. The first sentences usually appear around 2 and a half years old. Indeed, specialists specify that language delay is characterized mainly by poor vocabulary and telegraphic style of expression: no linking words, pronouns are missing, the child does not use the “I”, for example.
« A child who speaks little or not, who is not in the relationship and communicates little at 2 years, must worry the parents », Explains Caroline Bouilhol.
« The diagnosis of serous otitis for my Leon was made in March 2015. He was seen by an ENT doctor, he was a little over 3 years old, at the request of the speech therapist who did not notice any progress in his work with him », Says Ségolène, the mother of Léon, 4 years old today. ” He spoke badly, his sentences were incomprehensible, and so it annoyed him terribly not to be understood », Specifies the mother. On a daily basis, this mother remembers having to repeat the words to her son, she even remembers kneeling at her height to speak to him as clearly as possible, in her ear. “ After a while, especially at the start of the school year, Leon had started to sign to make himself understood by other friends. », She explains. The speech therapist confirms what this mom went through. “ The child suffers from his inability to make himself understood by others, which affects his self-esteem and his self-confidence. However, it is at this age that he builds his personality and his inner confidence. », She specifies. When a child has a hearing impairment, it will inevitably induce a language delay. “ The ENT explained to us that it was as if he heard the beginning but not the end of the word », Explains Leon’s mother.
What can be done to help the child who speaks badly?
The specialists also specify that when the language goes badly, the child is unintelligible. He very often develops behavioral problems due to not being understood by others. “ Leon hit, hit his classmates, he couldn’t make himself understood correctly. His teacher at the time reacted very well. He used sign language with Leon », Indicates Ségolène, the mother.
On the other hand, the ENT advises him two operations : remove adenoids and put yoyos in the ears. ” After the surgeries, everything is back to normal, gradually. Leon began to make sentences, his requests became more understandable, the teacher also confirmed his progress to us », Explains Ségolène. “ Parents must continue to speak to their child, even if the child is not yet in the language. Play, talk, read, he must be in a permanent linguistic bath », Advises the speech therapist. She also thinks that the child should not be forced to repeat every word. ” If the child makes mistakes, the adult can rephrase and their little one will repeat, spontaneously or not, what he has heard. You don’t have to force it. Parents should stay in a relationship of pleasure and complicity with their toddler », She indicates. ” I used singing and music a lot at home to make Leon hear and repeat the different words. », Says the mother. This is exactly what needs to be done, advocates the speech therapist.
Language learning: the pacifier problem
Caroline Bouilhol raises another possible cause of language delay that would go away quite quickly. The child who kept a pacifier would not pronounce the words correctly. ” The child places the tongue in a low position when speaking with a pacifier in the mouth, which does not allow him to articulate words correctly. It would be preferable to limit the use of the pacifier to the moments of sleep, around 12 months, to move towards a removal around 2 years, in order to allow the child to limit the obstacles on the long way of development. language », She explains.
Do not hesitate to consult a speech therapist
Whether it is Léon’s mother or Caroline Bouilhol, they advise parents who are wondering to consult a specialist if they have the slightest doubt, from an early age of the child. « Parents often hesitate, let things drag on for one, or even two years, the time to realize that their child cannot speak properly at 4/5 years old. It is best to see a speech therapist as soon as possible. She will be able to make a diagnosis quickly and will give advice to best support parents on a daily basis while setting up a parallel rehabilitation. », Explains the specialist. Same story for the mother who testifies: “ I advise parents not to listen to those around them and to consult a speech therapist as soon as possible. I went to see two ENTs to do hearing tests for my son and I don’t regret it. In the end, after the surgeries, Leon could hear correctly and could finally progress at his own pace. », Concludes Ségolène, Léon’s mother.