Language delay in young children
According to data from the 2021 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), almost 23 percent of Australian children are starting school vulnerable or at risk in the area of communication. This includes the ability to tell stories, articulate needs and converse with adults and peers. Professor Pamela Snow, a prominent researcher and university lecturer in the area of language and literacy, suggests that further down the track, up to 50 percent of young people in the justice system have a language impairment. These are concerning stats! The good news is, early intervention targeting language and communication skills has been found to have a significant positive effect on development. This blog post will talk you through the basics of language delay and offer suggestions to help your child build skills at home.
The terms language and speech are sometimes used interchangeably. It’s important to understand the difference as they are two quite different skills. Speech refers to the way we use our mouth to produce spoken words, and consists of articulation, voice and fluency:
Articulation - the way we use different parts of our mouth to make sounds
Voice - the way sounds come out through the use of our vocal cords and lungs, and
Fluency - how smooth our spoken sentences sound.
Speech concerns are best handled by a qualified speech pathologist. They will conduct a range of assessments to determine where the difficulties are originating and provide specific guidance on how they can be remediated.
Language, on the other hand, is how we put words together to communicate. Language can be expressive (selecting and using words to communicate an idea, thought or feeling) or receptive (understanding what someone else is communicating). Language delays can be expressive, receptive or a combination of both.
Delays or difficulties with language can take many forms. Without going into the absolute nuts and bolts, children may struggle with skills such as composing a grammatically correct sentence, selecting and using a range of vocabulary, using pronouns (he/she/they) or tense (run/ran, jump/jumped).
If you suspect your child is delayed in their language development, it’s a good idea to speak with a professional such as your maternal child health nurse (MCHN) or an early childhood educator who knows them well. They might suggest engaging with a speech pathologist for further assessment, particularly if there are other areas of delay. Language difficulties can sometimes be an early sign of neurodevelopmental differences such as autism or intellectual disability, or they can be a result of early hearing difficulties that mean they may not have been exposed to language in the same way as their peers. Often, there is simply a delay and with extra support, they catch up. All children develop at different rates, in different ways.
In the interim, here are some easy and practical ways to support your child’s language development at home:
Read to your child. I know this one is ALWAYS mentioned, but that’s because it’s so important! Through books, children are exposed to various types of sentence structure and length, vocabulary (some of which is less common in everyday conversation) and grammar. Picture story books, non-fiction books, novels… whatever your child enjoys! If you don’t have a bookworm, try sitting down with the junk mail and talking with your child about the different things you see. Name things, describe things, model their use in context and relate them to your child’s own life.
Provide varied experiences and adventures. Again, this is a huge opportunity to model authentic use of language. A trip to the beach, botanic gardens, museums, Bunnings… whatever your child is interested in! Blowing bubbles, playing with play dough, making jelly, washing the dog… all great opportunities to use a range of vocabulary in a meaningful way. Think about the words you are using 'Wow! I love how smooth and shiny this shell is! I wonder if it’s home to a tiny creature?’ The key here is authenticity - this shouldn’t be an opportunity to ‘test’ your child with questions you know the answer to (‘What colour is the shell? Where did we find the shell?’) but an opportunity to model.
Narrate what you are doing from a young age. It can feel strange to seemingly talk to yourself, but by describing to your child what you’re doing, you are exposing them to a whole lot of natural language. ‘I’m going to pack up the toys on the mat. First I’ll put the blocks in the basket. In they go. All done! Next, I’m going to pick up the shakers and put them in the music tub. One, two, three shakers. The mat is starting to look tidy now. What will I pack away next? I’ll put the animal books on the shelf’ As busy caregivers who do A MILLION things each day, consider just how much language you can expose your child to, without having to really do anything extra!
Speak in full, grammatically correct sentences. I know, it’s SO tempting to opt for '‘Pass that to Mummy’ (when you are Mummy!) but these sentences rob your child of the opportunity to pick up correct pronouns. Similarly, ‘Sophie do it’ when encouraging Sophie to put on her shoe, is best replaced with ‘You can put on your shoe, Sophie’. This can be a hard habit to break, but it’s well worth it!
Don’t ‘dumb things down’. Children are incredibly capable. Talk to them in the same way you would an adult. Not only does this model correct language, but it’s authentic and respectful. If a 4-year-old can name an ankylosaurus, he can absolutely handle you using words such as challenging, compliment, paraphernalia and elevate!
If you are seeking support for your child’s language development, I can help. I am trained in Hanen’s SPARK Communication - coaching parents to use strategies from the ‘It Takes Two to Talk’ program. I can work with you to set goals for your child and show you how to embed strategies in your daily routines to help build language skills. You can book a free initial chat to discuss how I can support here.