by admin | Mar 29, 2017 | news
What is Specific Language Disorder?
Specific Language Disorder (STD) is a disorder that primarily affects the acquisition and development of oral language. This disorder is not related to an intellectual deficit, emotional disorder, neurological injury, or motor or sensory problem.
TEL is not like any other delay in the appearance of speech. many of the children who have TEL in addition to having affected the expression, also have compromised the comprehension to a greater or lesser extent. in addition to acquiring language late, when they acquire it, they present many irregular patterns in the development of it.
TEL is a dynamic disorder and for this reason symptoms often vary from child to child.
Causes of Specific Language Disorder.
Very little is still known about the causes of TEL. Recent research suggests it's an inherited disorder. These studies refer to the child's limitations in identifying speech sounds. The child has a limited ability to isolate, identify, and memorize speech sounds and the order in which they are made.
In addition to the first words, other words that are perceptively unimportant are going to be more vulnerable. That's why sentence building isn't going to develop properly either. These deficiencies force the child with TEL to use inadequate compensatory mechanisms to achieve communication. Children with TEL often take time to speak and do not produce any words until they are about 2 years old. At age 3, they can talk, but they may not be intelligible.
Characteristics of Language in Specific Language Disorder.
We can consider a late onset of language when the child has no more than 50 intelligible words at 2 years ±1 month. Also when it does not produce two-word statements at 2 years ±1 month. We cannot diagnose a TEL at the age of 2 because its symptomatology is not reduced to late speech and not all children who take time to speak will present TEL.
However, delayed speech is a warning sign and my recommendation is to evaluate these children every 3-6 months. At these early ages, the family environment is usually involved and language stimulation sessions are recommended in order to rule out any future disorders.
In addition to the first words, other words that are perceptively unimportant are going to be more vulnerable. That's why sentence construction (syntax) is not going to develop properly either.
These deficiencies force the child with TEL to use inadequate compensatory mechanisms to achieve communication. As they get older, children with TEL have difficulty learning new words and carrying on a conversation.
Other Features
Some children often have problems in other areas such as deficits in the learning process (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysortography). They may also have attention and concentration disorders. There are difficulties in mathematics which are mainly related to their inability to understand and decipher the statements of the problems, since the difficulty lies in reading comprehension.
In the behavioral part disruptive behaviors may appear as tantrums caused mainly by the frustration that generates not being able to communicate properly. Aggressive and rebellious behaviors may appear in other children. Children with TEL tend to have problems in their social relationships, as they are isolated or lonely children. They are more vulnerable to bullying and exclusion because of their language difficulties.
There is currently no information on early developmental signs that could predict language difficulties. This information could potentially enable early identification and intervention with these children.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders are collecting data using neurophysiological, behavioral, and eye-tracking measures. They also investigate general measures of brain development in a given group of children during their growth. Its aim is to find specific indicators for the TEL or that could predict the development of the disorders. The results of this research could have an important influence on the development of new approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of Specific Language Disorder.
Supports aimed at children with Specific Language Disorder.
In our office there are many types of support to help you develop language and communication. We have professionals who will help you improve other affected areas of learning, such as literacy and social skills. We know that if not treated early, it can seriously affect a child's performance in school and we want to avoid it.
We design special programs to enrich language development. We offer activities that encourage role-play, social skills. We also plan sessions to improve areas such as vocabulary, phonological skills, sentence construction, comprehension, attention, etc.
It is always important to understand that each child's needs are different and not everyone intervenes in the same way. If you or your child's teacher have questions, don't wait to consult us for an evaluation.
We are able to evaluate, diagnose and recommend if the child is a candidate for therapy.
We are located in Guadalupe, San José and our phone number is 70928392. You can also look for us on Instagram or Facebook.
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by admin | Mar 14, 2017 | news
A few weeks ago I received a visit from some young parents very concerned about the speech difficulties in their 3 year old child. While we were doing the parental interview I was told that the child was fed only mashed potatoes. Since the beginning of ablactation they had not changed the texture of their food. When the clinical examination of the patient was carried out, we found great difficulty in articulating, but would the diet be directly related to his speech problems?
Many parents are unaware that food prepares the organs that intervene in the emission of speech.
From breastfeeding itself until the child is able to feed on solids feeding provides, especially in young children, the strength of the muscles that are involved in the articulation of oral language (particularly in the muscles of lips, tongue and jaw). Speech is not only about learning meanings or knowing how to use words, but it also has a motor component in which the structures and musculature of the orofacial area intervene and which the child must develop and exercise from birth. For example a child who does not exercise the tongue forming the alimentary bolus, nor the jaws crushing the food, is going to have a great difficulty to reproduce sounds in which these structures intervene as for example the sound / l /o /r/. On the contrary, the fact that a child performs the correct closing of the lips around the chest and around the spoon or glass, makes these muscles acquire adequate strength and coordination for the correct articulation of the phonemes /p/ or /m/, in whose production a good lip seal is needed. ). What happens when you don't give your child adequate nutrition at home for his or her specific age? We will find patterns that negatively influence speech such as: tongue out, drooling, open mouth and mouth breathing.
In addition to the muscular part, think for a moment about the sensory development of the child. A child offered its mashed and mixed food does not have the same sensory development as a child who experiences textures, colors, flavors, and temperatures. A soft green broccoli and a hard yellow corn provide different stimuli. Your child is also being deprived of the rewarding experience of tasting different tastes and smells. And although we are talking about children, I would like to mention that this same situation is experienced by the elderly in many homes. Healthy older people often have the ability to chew and swallow all foods properly, but for convenience and speed they are given pureed food, not only depriving them of the pleasure of tasting food, but leading them to the deterioration of their orofacial musculature more quickly.
If you want to help your child develop language through eating, here are some tips:
- It is recommended that at twelve months you start using training cups. When the pacifier is used for longer than the appropriate time, malocclusions may develop that could cause difficulties in the articulation of children.
- When starting the feeding by means of porridge, it is recommended to use flat spoons initially and to avoid cleaning with the spoon or with napkins the excess of food that remain in the mouth of the child. It is recommended that they are the ones who eliminate these excesses, motivating you to stick your tongue out in all directions.
- To offer a variety of colors, flavors, textures, temperatures and sizes. If you want to implement Baby Led Weaning it is important to be informed about the particularities of this method as it allows the baby to feed itself - without using spoons at the beginning and without purées.
- The use of straws is very helpful however before giving him to drink with straw, it is advisable that the child has acquired good control with the glass. The straw allows you to develop strength in your lips and control your tongue.
- The way to chew should be adequate, ie with the mouth closed and without sticking out the tongue or lose food while chewing. Crunchy foods provide strength in the mouth, for example foods such as carrots, crackers or apples.
- The child should not be allowed to chew food and then take it out of the mouth without swallowing it because the larynx will not be mature enough to utter words.
- When feeding solid food to children it is recommended not to cut food into very small pieces as cutting food with their teeth helps them gain strength in their jaw.
- Remember not to force or scold him and allow him to adapt at his own pace.
- Respect the developmental stages and do not offer a food to the child ahead of time.
If you feel you need help, it is advisable to seek out a professional with experience in myofunctional and orofacial therapy who can assess your difficulties and the need for direct or indirect intervention.
by admin | Jan 10, 2017 | news
I have previously commented on disorders in the articulation of speech sounds and the ages at which they are acquired. But there are cases of children who make so many mistakes that parents are unable to identify which sounds are affected. They are such unintelligible children that those around them don't know where to start to help them get better. If this feeling is familiar to you, your child is likely to have not only an articulatory disorder, but also a phonological disorder. This disorder is characterized by the presence of what are known as phonological processes.
What are phonological processes.
Phonological processes are patterns of sounds that all children use to simplify adult speech as they learn to speak. The main cause is the lack of ability to coordinate the lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and jaw to achieve intelligible speech. In response, the most complex words are simplified in the most predictable way until they develop the coordination necessary to speak clearly. For example, a child who is learning to speak can reduce the consonant group pl in the word plate by a single consonant and pronounce duck. Another example could be to omit the atonic syllable of a word such as nano instead of banana. There are many simplification patterns or phonological processes.
The presence of phonological processes is completely normal in the child's speech development. What is unusual is that they persist beyond the age where they would be expected to stop using them. Each phonological process has a different age of disappearance. For example, if your 4-year-old has the phonological process of reduplication (tete instead of pacifier or guagua instead of water), you should be aware that most children stop using this process by the time they turn 3.
A phonological delay can also be considered if the processes that persist in the child are different from those expected of him. For example, if your child omits all of the initial sounds in the words, it might be considered an alteration because the omission of the initial consonant is not a typical speech development process.
What should I expect from my child according to his age?
Excessive use of phonological processes may also indicate the presence of a phonological disorder characterized by multiple processes occurring simultaneously. A treatment plan should be considered as soon as possible.
If you're not sure how intelligible your child is, you should consider his or her age. There is a standard guide that proposes that by age two your child should be 50% intelligible to a listener outside the family setting. By the age of 3, it must be 75% intelligible. By age 4 or 5, you should be close to being 100% intelligible, although it is common for you to still have some age-specific articulation errors.
Remember that as with all speech sound disorders, an early diagnosis can make the difference between a successful child and a child who has later difficulties. Don't waste valuable time and consult with a professional.
In our office we have professionals prepared to accompany you in the process. Contact us!
by admin | Mar 14, 2016 | news
I often get calls from mothers who are concerned that their children don't talk enough but aren't sure how much they should talk. I always try to reassure them that all children are different and have their own pace but I also explain that there are certain parameters that can guide them to make sure everything is going well:
1) At the age of one year the child should understand at least 50 words and in the expressive area say 1 to 3 words.
2) At 18 months you should understand at least 200 words and say 20 to 50 words.
3) At two years should comprise 500 words, express at least 50 and also start the productions of two words.
If your child is a healthy child, without any health condition that affects his or her language and you consider that he or she does not have these characteristics, there may be some factor that is interfering with his or her correct development and evaluation by a professional is recommended. In an upcoming article I will delve into some other developmental milestones that must also be present in every age range and are important to let us know if something is wrong. Remember that early intervention is more successful than late diagnosis.
by admin | Mar 10, 2016 | news
I have found in the consultation, especially in those home visits, that many times parents have difficulty finding appropriate toys that promote the development of language and speech in our children.
Early language proficiency correlates with later development of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Parents are primarily responsible for observing our children and knowing if they are progressing adequately in their ability to express feelings, understand social situations, solve problems and make good decisions, etc. so it is always good to know what to expect from our children in terms of language. From the baby's babbling, the toddler's first words, the preschooler's short phrases to the storytelling of older children.
These areas are stimulated and developed through play. That's our children's job and we must give them the tools they need to do it successfully. Speech therapists can help parents with the selection of toys in order to make better use of them, improve the quality of play and the reproduction of their children's experiences.
Parents often get carried away by advertising and buy our children many toys that entertain them but do not promote speech. That's why my recommendation is to provide your child with toys that promote talking and role play, such as people, animals, puppets, vehicles, houses, farms that help simulation games, promote social interaction, imitations of sounds, words and dialogues.
I leave you with a list of characteristics that according to the renowned American phonoaudiologist Sherry Artemenko, winner of the PAL (Play Advances Language) award, parents should look for in their children's toys if they want to stimulate the development of language and speech:
- Provides numerous opportunities to describe multi-sensory characteristics for the child.
- Offers faces and characters to encourage conversation.
- Provides flexibility, you can use the toy in a variety of ways.
- Encourages interaction, dialogue and storytelling.
- Contains related accessories to promote the simulation game.
- Encourages imagination and creativity.
- Teaches specific language concepts through play.
- Develops pragmatic social and language skills.
- Provides entertaining, easy-to-tell stories with eye-catching illustrations.
- Promotes pre-literacy, rhyming, new vocabulary, etc.
- Provides the opportunity to teach critical thinking skills such as comparison/contrast, inference and prediction.
- Invites dialogue on issues that promote character formation of the child.
Remember that it is not necessary to fill children with so many meaningless toys and that children want to share their experiences with you. You are the best stimulation for your little ones.
