When your 2-year-old son or daughter still does not speak at his age it is a situation that worries many parents. Knowing some of the keys to its development can help many parents to solve this concern and here we can give you some guidelines to help solve those little doubts.
In most cases this fact does not usually notice anything important and worrying. Parents can have a hard time until we see that the child evolves normally. At the age of 2 the child is already beginning to use short sentences of one to three words, but it will be the pediatrician who will determine if the development is correct or not. But in most cases it is a normal type of evolution and there is no need to worry, since each child grows and develops at its own pace.
Why is my 2-year-old son not speaking?
The doubts are inevitable, that a normal part of evolution has not begun to speak at this age. There may be some reasons causing it to be delayed and among them it can be genetic. Surely the father or mother also took time to pronounce their first words.
Some problems a little more serious
During your pediatric visits or periodic check-ups, a type of exam will be done to verify that your system is working properly. One of them is to confirm that the child listen correctly to sounds and words, But if this review has not been done yet and you want to try it at home, you will never miss it. It will be tested if you are able to respond to loud sounds in the same way as soft sounds. You can also analyze whether he only answers when he is offered something that interests him and not when he calls him by name.
If you are clear that you are listening well, you can analyze and assess if your level of understanding is correct. If you observe something abnormal, you should consult your pediatrician and make your own assessment, since a child with hearing problems can lead to many problems for the development of speech and correct language.
The problem of not being able to speak or being limited in the articulation of words can also be a consequence of oral problems such as changes in the palate or short frenulum (the fold under the tongue).
Another slightly more serious problem is when the child develops a oral-motor problem. It occurs when areas of the brain do not cause a correct response to occur in your speech, such as lip, tongue, or jaw coordination. This problem also develops when it comes to eating.
When to visit the speech therapist
The child may have problems with both language and speech. The two are different terms, the language it is the ability to receive and express meaningful information, where it is to be understood. He speaks it is the verbal expression of language, what is said through sounds and words.
When a child takes him to the speech therapist because he does not speak, it will be determined by a series of tests if the child has a language disorder or if it is the result of a maturation process, so it will do a series of tests to conclude.
These tests will determine if the child recognizes receptive language (what your child understands), if you recognize expressive language (what your child can say), or if the child articulates the words correctly or if their oral-motor status works together correctly. If something does not work well, the speech therapist will determine if you may need speech therapy sessions.
Recognizing that there is a delay in the child's speech or language is essential. If you have exceeded his age of 2 years and continues not to speak correctly is a sign of having to assess your situation with a professional. If you want to know more about what we write you can read "When do babies start talking?" or the best «Tips to help your child speak«.