Oh, how I wish I had the proverbial dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say, “...it’s ‘just’ speech…” Although it is possible to live without speech or language, without these communication tools, our quality of life would be greatly impaired. Most parents recognize this, but, at the same time, we often want to minimize any concerns or worries about our child’s development. It’s hard for us as parents to think that something is wrong with our child. This blog is written for you as a parent.
For many of us, speech and language develop naturally and the process seems simple. But it’s not simple at all; actually, producing speech is a highly complex neurological process and communication is generally considered to be the most complex and important of all human behaviors. Our ability to learn language and produce speech is what makes us human; it’s what sets us apart from other species. Children are born with the potential to learn normal speech and language, but that’s no guarantee that normal verbal communication will develop.
Speech and language are learned behaviors that are best taught naturally by caring parents, grandparents, siblings, caregivers, and others in warm, caring, communication-rich environments. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, sometimes speech and language don’t develop naturally; skills may be learned late, incorrectly, or not at all. Too often, parents and professionals choose to take a wait-and-see attitude in hopes that the child will grow out of the deficit or delay. This may be the case, but a consultation with a speech-language pathologist can provide you with information about what is normal speech and language development and what is not. Don’t be afraid to ask. That’s why we’re here.
The most frequently occurring of the speech-language disorders is articulation and this is the one that tends to get the most attention from both parents and professionals. Articulation problems are not always the most severe or disabling of the speech disorders, but they often require help and can develop into serious problems if left untreated. Language and the other speech disorders, voice and fluency, tend to be more severe and the most disabling.
We live in a speech and language world where verbal communication is valued and expected from an early age. And most children, especially school age children, are very aware of what is expected verbally and they know if they have speech or language difficulties or differences. Think about your child at school. Listening, speaking, reading, writing. These are all language skills, either oral or written, but language nonetheless. And we say “listening, speaking, reading, writing” in that order for a reason; that’s the order in which they typically develop. Your child can listen and understand before he can speak; he can listen and speak before he can read; and he can listen, speak, and read before he can write. When children have difficulty with speech or one or more of these language modalities, the effects can range from mild to severe and can be both immediate and long-term.
School success is important for your child, but impaired speech or language can affect your child’s social and emotional well-being as well.
One of the most devastating effects of speech and language disorders is the emotional impact. We all know that children can be cruel, but adults can be as well and many children are openly penalized for their communication differences. They may be teased, excluded from classroom or playground activities, or any number of other negative reactions. Unbelievably, children with speech or language differences may be perceived as lazy or stupid or stubborn. These negative actions or reactions may result in low self-esteem and feelings of being different and not belonging, incompetence, inferiority, or just not being liked. Several years ago, I overheard a 6 year old client tell her mom, “Dr. Bob is gonna help me talk good so I can have a friend.” It will break your heart and if these attitudes develop or continue, they can have far-reaching implications at home, at school, and in the community.
The effects of speech and language skills on school success is so broad and so important that we’ll talk about that in an upcoming blog.
So, no, it’s not ‘just’ speech.
Contact me today to learn more about speech.