There are some developmental milestones your child should reach, and one of them is speech. Unfortunately, speech disorders affect children too. Your pediatrician can help. Dr. C. Turner Lewis III at Children’s Medical Clinics in Kaufman, TX, provides a wide range of medical services for children, including diagnosis and treatment of speech disorders.

What You Need To Know About Speech Disorders

On average, children can say 1 or 2 words by the time they are 15 months old, and 3 or more words by the time they are 18 months old. At 2 years old, two-word sentences are a common achievement. If your child has delayed speech or difficulty speaking, your child could have a speech disorder.

There are several types of speech disorders. Your child may have difficulty with:

• Producing speech sounds, which can result in lisping
• The pitch and volume of speech and sounds
• Speech flow, which can result in stammering or stuttering

Speech difficulties can be caused by improper functioning of the muscles used to create speech. Speech delays and other speech problems can be caused by an underlying developmental condition like autism. Speech difficulties or delays may also be the result of hearing impairment.

Regular visits with your child’s pediatrician can help identify a speech disorder or delay early, so treatment can begin. Initially, your pediatrician will perform a comprehensive physical examination of your child to determine if an underlying medical condition is present, which may be contributing to the speech difficulty. Your child's hearing will be checked, to determine if the speech problem may be due to hearing loss.

Your pediatrician will assess your child’s speech and develop a comprehensive treatment plan which may include speech therapy. Speech therapy can:

• Help with pronunciation of words
• Strengthen the muscles associated with speech
• Help your child learn to speak correctly

Want To Know More About Speech Disorders in Children and How Your Pediatrician Can Help?

To discover more about speech disorders, speech therapy, and other pediatric medicine services, Call Dr. Turner at Children’s Medical Clinics in Kaufman, TX. You can reach him in the office by calling (972) 932-1319, so call today.