• Published by Kunthi Kumalasari Hardi, M.Ed., BCBA from BehaviorPALS Center 

When the child is 2 years old, but no meaningful and complete words have been issued from the child, we need to suspect whether the child has a speech delay or commonly known as speech delay. Currently, the understanding and issue of speech delay is a topic that is also hotly discussed by many parents. There are also many child practitioners who talk about the topic of speech delay. However, what exactly is speech delay?

Speech delay is a delay in children's language development which is marked by at the age of 16 months there have not been any meaningful words out of the child's mouth. Actually, the risk of speech delay can be seen from the previous stages of development, for example, whether at the age of 12 months the child can already do babbling such as saying "mamamama" and "papapapa" clearly. Signs of non-verbal behavior are also important, such as whether the child can point or can express when playing with parents and other caregivers. If your child shows a delay in development, it is recommended that you immediately consult a pediatrician and then you may also need to see another developmental specialist.

Then what if my child is declared speech delay?

There are several causes of speech delay, some are due to hearing loss, developmental disorders such as autism, ADHD, intellectual disorders, and cerebral palsy, and some are because children are not stimulated. To know what the right treatment is you need to understand what might be causing your child's speech delay. For example, if your child has a speech delay due to a hearing loss, then medical treatment needs to be carried out by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, but if your child has a speech delay due to a developmental disorder, behavioral interventions such as interventions based on Applied Behavior Analysis can be done to help your child learn a language.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) interventions are usually performed for children with communication developmental delays. Before carrying out ABA interventions, an assessment is usually carried out to determine the level of children's social and communication skills. Then a program was made to improve their children's skills. ABA intervention is generally known as an effective intervention for behavioral management of children with autism, but this ABA intervention can also be widely used for children with speech delay and other developmental disorders. 

What can parents do at home?

Child development professionals may be able to help children to speak, but parents actually play a very important role for children's language development. Parents can start by frequently talking to their children, reducing the use of gadgets, and inviting children to interact and play more often. This language stimulation can increase children's interest in communicating and learning to speak. In addition, if your child shows a desire to get something, ask the child to ask for the item verbally, try 1-2 times consistently each child asks then praise the child and immediately give the item he wants when he tries to ask verbally. Also, if you give your child an instruction, and within 5 seconds the child doesn't do it, help your child to carry out the instructions, so that he understands what your instructions mean. Studies prove that consistent teaching can effectively improve children's communication skills.

Bibliography:

Sunderajan, T., & Kanhere, SV (2019). Speech and language delay in children: Prevalence and risk factors. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 8(5), 1642–1646. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_162_19 

Ingenmey, R., & Van Houten, R. (1991). Using time delay to promote spontaneous speech in an autistic child. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 24(3), 591–596. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1991.24-591

speech delay, parenting, intervention

Toddler 18 Months - 24 Months / 18 Bulan - 24 Bulan (Batita) / Physical Development / Tumbuh Kembang Fisik / Health / Kesehatan / My child is speech delay. How Can I Help?

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