Four-year-old baby has delayed language development

Language delay means that the ability to express language is not as good as that of peers. A four-year-old baby's language delay will definitely make parents very worried. This condition is usually accompanied by mental retardation, hearing impairment, articulation organ diseases, etc. Because of the serious harm, we need to know the characteristics of language delay and take timely measures when we discover it. So, what are the symptoms of delayed language development in a four-year-old baby? Let’s take a look below.

Mild, temporary language delays occur in some children, and some children learn language faster than others, while others do not. If your child hasn't learned to speak by 18 months or can't say 50 words by his first birthday, you should consult a doctor. Because all children diagnosed with speech delay need to undergo hearing testing.

Correctly Identifying Language Delay

To determine whether a child has delayed language development, one must also consider his or her physical age. Generally, normal children start talking at around one year old, calling "Dad, Mom", but children with delayed language development may not start talking until they are two or three years old, and some may not even say a word until they are four or five years old. For preschool children, even if they have some of the above-mentioned language symptoms, parents should not blindly conclude that they have language delays. It is best to send them to a specialized institution for examination.

Usually, delayed language development is accompanied by other problems, such as head injury, intellectual disability, hearing impairment or deafness, emotional distress, and motor dysfunction of the respiratory and vocal organs. Therefore, during the examination, we should try our best to determine the cause of the child's delayed language development. Different causes require different language intervention measures.

If the child does have language delay, parents should eliminate or reduce the causes of the delay as much as possible under the guidance of experts. Although the measures for language intervention for different reasons may vary, some principles are the same.

1. The basic way for children to learn language is to imitate

Therefore, adults should talk to children more often, train children to imitate adults' language pronunciation, encourage children to speak, and learn to express their needs with words.

2. Give more stimulation to encourage children to speak

For example, at first, ask the child to call her "Mom". If the child does not call her "Mom", the mother should smile and nod. If the child still does not call her "Mom", she should still smile and nod to indicate. Finally, if the child suddenly calls her "Mom", the mother should hug or kiss the child warmly. In this way, children will experience the love they get when calling "Mom" and will be motivated to speak.

More contact with society and nature will enrich children's lives, broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge, which will naturally lead to the desire to speak. If combined with language training, the child's language ability will be well developed accordingly.

No matter what causes a child's delayed language development, parents should remember: you are the best teachers for your child to learn to speak. Because you have plenty of time to spend with children, provide them with language objects to imitate, and you are also the children's closest people. Only you can give children enough confidence to overcome difficulties. You must always believe that children can catch up with normal children of the same age through hard work.