Children with speech difficulties

[meanon]

My three year old has difficulties pronouncing certain sounds and this makes it difficult at times to understand her, particularly for people who don't know her well. We have just started speech therapy, prior to this there were lots of tests.

 

Within the last two weeks she has become increasingly self conscious about the problem and this is beginning to show in her behaviour (e.g. getting very upset, being reluctant to speak at times at nursery). This is a marked change and is very unusual for her.

 

I think I know how best to deal with her reaction and have worked things out with the nursery too. This is a long shot, does anyone have experience of supporting a child through speech therapy? I'm interested in how common the emotional reaction to the treatment is (the therapist seemed surprised by it), what form it takes in others, how long it lasts. Thanks.

[tiki]

Wow, 3 yrs old seems mighty young for speech resources. My son is almost four and can't say "th" or another sound or two. I was told to not worry with it at such a young age. Anyway, I had to take speech classes in first grade. My r's sounded like w's. I'm fine now. Continue to be supportive and make no mocking or picking a general wule of thumb. =)

[Matilda]

I have twin boys who both have speech problems, they have been receiving therapy for about 3 years. They are both in a special class with other children who have delays in their development. I am not an expert by any means, but your daughter's reaction seems a little unusual to me too. I have seen a lot of frustration with not being able to be understood, but I haven't seen a child that young become self-conscious. However, girls are usually further ahead developmentally, so that may have something to do with it, plus my boys have other problems besides speech too.

 

I don't know what your child's particular speech problem is, but here is a link to a website for children with apraxia. Even if your child does not have apraxia, but only articulation difficulties, I think you might find some helpful informatin there, plus there are a lot of links to other speech sites: http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

 

Here's another link with a forum that may be a good place to ask your question: http://www.SpeechDelay.com

 

Hope this helps.

[meanon]

Thanks to you both, particularly for the links.

[soccorsilly]

I have three kids--two of whom had some difficulty in the speech dept. And my ex wife was a huge fan of doctor appointments.

 

Now my son was just over 3 and he could not pronounce S--it was Nimple Nimon....and to make matters worse, we had a neighbor called Mr. Simon. Well she made the appt for testing and I swear he knew, but the same day she made the appt for the following day, he came in the house bellowing Hey it is Mr. Simon--The S was fullt in tact.

 

My Daughter on the other have had some "pet" words that she mispronoubnced--I can't recall them at this time, but she was around 4 when my ex decided speech therapy was the key. After 6 months, we could not tell a marked difference and we quit. However, six months later (without therapy) she came around on her own.

 

My position is that unless there is a hearing deficiency, let them mature at their own rate. They will be exposed to proper speech in due time and each child matures at his or her own pace. I would imagine therapy puts the child out and makes them feel different especially if it interferes with the interraction with other kids--missing a class, missing a sport event, etc.

 

I say, pull your child out for a bit and see what happens. Of course continue to interract with him and guide (don't correct) his errors....Hey I came in tense place....your reply WOW tenTH place is great! That type of stuff.

 

Good luck, don't sweat it--they are only kids--and only three at this point...save your co-pay and take him to more movies with the money and expose him to more proper speech and while you are at it bring along one of his friends.

[Stone]

speach delay

 

My son has Apraxia ( loss of speech due to stroke) but due to speach therapy he is doing excellent. He just turned 4 last week.

 

anyways it took him a couple of weeks to get used to speach therapy, he hated it and screamed for the 1st couple sessions. But he quickly got used to it.

 

I found that if you/theripist puts pressure on them to talk they get embarassed and won't say anything at all. Noah my son uses sign language along with speach to help communication confusion. Try to make it fun. by singing songs doing tounge exersises in the mirror so she can see her funny faces.

[koala bear]

I have two children that are in speech and one them started when he was 18 months. and the other at 31/2. They both had hearing lose that caused the delay. The older one was very angry, he beat his head on the floor. I knew he had a problem at a week old. But no one did anything about it till I through a fit. He has been going for almost three years now and is doing much better but still knows there is somthing different about him. The younger I didn't know there was a problem. Then we had a hearing test and there it was. He has always been a handful and still is he just started speech this week and I hope he will calm down a little but I'm sure he will get worse before he gets better. I hope things are going better for you by now.

[meanon]

Thanks, everyone. Things are better. My daughter's speech is still very difficult for strangers to understand but I stopped the speech therapy and that has meant that at least she has reverted to her happy, talkative self. I get the practice in on the sly, rather than by the methods the therapists taught me. As you said, soccorsilly, they all mature at their own rate - she'll get there.

 

stoneheather, we spoke elsewhere about your kids - I hope you found a sitter!

 

koala bear - there's nothing quite like seeing your child distressed and not knowing what to do for the best, is there? As your eldest has improved, I'm sure the younger one will too. I hope so.