Speech is one of the most important indicators of the child's health, but it develops individually, and often causes parental concern.

Dr. Oliana Markova, a pediatrician, refers to the presence of many reasons for the delay in speech and signs of anxiety, and requires a review of the specialist doctor.

According to her, the child’s speech has evolved an individual process: Some children begin to speak with sentences at the age of two, while others only utter individual short words at the age of three. The specialist uses specific criteria to understand that the child is developing within the normal range and that his growth is running naturally.

She says: “With the sixth month, children begin to gossip and make sounds such as“ Ma-M ”and“ Ba-P ”and respond to their names. It appears at the age of a year, the first conscious words, and the child begins to follow simple instructions. At the age of 1.5 years, vocabulary is about 15-20 words, and simple phrases appear, as their vocabulary increases to 50-200 words at the age of two years. Children at the age of three become usually able to build a 3-4 sentences and actively communicate with others. ”

It is explained, that is, a slight delay in these criteria is acceptable, and does not always indicate a growth disorder. But if the child does not start speaking at the age of the year and does not respond to his name and does not understand simple requests at the age of two, and the complex speech does not develop at the age of three years, then the speech therapist must be consulted.

According to it, the reasons for delayed speech may be different. It may be the result of a lack of oxygen or childbirth shock; Some have hearing impairment or autism spectrum disorder. Sometimes delay may be due to external factors- stress, and the inappropriate environment at home. In general, the more doctors can discover the cause early, the easier it is to correct the disorder, and avoid the irreversible consequences of the child's words and psychological and emotional development.

The doctor indicates that there are many myths about the development of speech. For example, boys start pronunciation late compared to girls. Of course, this is true because the boys' speech center develops slower, but the difference usually does not exceed a month or two. So if the child does not speak at the age of two, you should consult a specialist.

The second legend- the child is silent because the family does not speak much. Correct communication affects the development of speech, but this is not usually the only reason for delayed speech. It is even important to exclude other factors - nervous, genetic and psychological.

She says: “If no defect is discovered during the examination, pronunciation can be stimulated by creating a development environment around the child. That is, you should talk more with him, and ask simple questions on him. Reading also has a positive impact on the development of speech. Books with beautiful illustrations and clear plots emotionally interact with the child, encourage him to analyze information, and help to expand his vocabulary and develop speech understanding skills.