What to do if a child at the age of 2 does not speak? How to react to parents? Are there any teaching methods aimed at developing speech? When does a child say the first word? Which specialists should I contact? Read about it in our article.
What time do children start talking?
Usually by the year the kids confidently pronounce the simplest words: “give”, “mother”, “woman”, “dad”. This is the time when the child speaks his first word, even if unknowingly. By two and a half years, a child should not only replenish his vocabulary, but also learn to add simple sentences from words: “Give me a bear!”, “Let's go for a walk!”, “Buy a ball!”, “Give me a pen!” etc. But what if the child at the age of 2 does not speak at all or utters slurred sounds that are understandable only to mom? Why does the baby have "porridge in his mouth" when his peers are already "chirping?" Is it worth talking in this case about some kind of backwardness, or is such stubborn silence just an individual feature? And most importantly - how to teach a baby who is two or three years old to speak?
Reasons for silence
There are many reasons why a child at the age of 2 does not speak.
Hearing loss. When the baby does not hear very well, then, accordingly, he will perceive the speech of those around him badly. In more severe cases (up to deafness), the baby may not speak at all or greatly distort the sounds and words in general.
Heredity. If, for example, you yourself said the first intelligible words late, then there is nothing strange in the fact that a child at the age of 2 does not say. Although, if the baby by the age of three has not mastered simple sentences, it is worth worrying and examining the child.
Weakening of the body. Prematurity or a serious illness, for example, can cause a delay in the maturation (development) of the nervous system and, therefore, speech itself.
Hypoxia
Injuries (including birth).
Severe intoxication.
Fright.
Transferred operation.
Improper upbringing (for example, excessive custody, when the child’s wishes are literally foreseen).
Developmental disorders in general.
There are rumors between parents that the girls supposedly begin to walk and speak earlier than the boys. In fact, this theory has no valid evidence. It happens that a child does not want to speak for two, or even three years, and then he suddenly “breaks” into whole, correctly composed sentences. If the baby understands perfectly well what his parents and others are telling him and at the same time even follow some simple instructions (“come up”, “take”, “put down”, “sit down”, etc.), then most likely, about nothing.
Active speech may occur suddenly
If the baby repeats after you the words that you tell him, this does not mean at all that he really assimilates them. Do not torture, do not force him to say what you want to hear. In some children, imitation may be delayed. Try to call the baby to talk. For example, ask your child more often questions, do not rush to fulfill wishes (let him voice them). Children have their own rhythms of development. Of course, there are so-called “norms”, but one cannot forget about individuality. Someone’s teeth are later shown, someone skips the crawl period and immediately starts to run. Therefore, if the child speaks little, do not panic. Just give the baby time. Do not hurry. Do not do for him what he could do on his own (put on slippers, or drink milk, or eat). Does not work? Help. But only so that it is unobtrusive. Push your baby to independence.
And many psychologists advise less often to turn on the TV, since your speech almost merges with the sounds from the TV, respectively, your child perceives your voice as a general noise. Therefore, in most cases it depends on the parents what time the children start talking.
What kind of specialists could help?
If the child does not speak at the age of two, find out the reason for the silence. What kind of specialists will you need to go through? First of all, a pediatrician. He will not only conduct a general examination, but also give directions to narrow children's specialists: an ENT specialist, a speech therapist, a neurologist, a psychiatrist.
A speech therapist, after testing, will determine the conformity of speech levels and mental development. To confirm or refute, he may refer the baby for examination to a neuropsychiatrist.
The task of the lore is to check whether there is a relationship between speech delay and problems with the articulation apparatus (for example, a shortened hyoid frenum) and hearing. The doctor will examine the oral cavity, make an audiogram.
The sooner the problem becomes clear, the easier it is to deal with it. But what if the baby is healthy and intellectually developed? Some experts say that parents should wait up to three years, because this is the age at which there is a sharp jump in all development, and a child after a long silence can speak not just in separate phrases, but in whole sentences. By the way, such children not only keep up with their peers in school, but sometimes surpass them. Of course, if a child at the age of 2 does not speak, you simply cannot wait for this wonderful leap. It is necessary to help him develop using simple and rather fascinating techniques.
When should you start teaching your baby to talk?
Definitely do not answer this question. Actually, the learning process, in fact, begins in the womb. It is proved that the child perceives sounds and reacts to them, while still in the mother’s tummy. He calms down, “listening” when a woman sings a song or, on the contrary, “fights” when she swears. Psychology is a subtle science, and what is laid before birth will necessarily appear after. Active activities with the baby should begin when the baby:
tries to explain something with sounds (or gestures);
He not only hears everything, but also understands speech;
alone with himself he says rubbish, but he clearly pronounces almost all sounds quite clearly.
The relationship between speech development and fine motor skills
Until six months, the child enthusiastically repeats the facial expressions of the mother who is talking to him. However, after about seven months this imitation is weakening. The kid is actively exploring such a rich external world, and his attention on his parents is no longer so pointed.
It is noted that speech development takes place in parallel with the development of motor skills. Of particular importance is the opposition of the thumb to all others. Let's crumb a little ball, train to work with plasticine, buy him multi-colored wooden beads (larger). By the age of one and a half years, begin to master already more complex manipulations:
fastening of locks and buttons;
tying knots;
lacing (it’s not yet about the ability to tie shoelaces on shoes, teach your baby to stick shoelaces in small holes), etc.
The movements of the left hand are responsible for the development of the right hemisphere and vice versa. Very useful are those joint games that contain elements of finger flexion.
Critical periods in the development of speech function
Doctors distinguish several periods:
Between the first and second years in speech development, clear background of speech can be traced. This is the time of "babble" words: "la-la", "nya-nya", "la-la", "ba-ba", etc. Already at this time, one must think about how to teach the child to speak correctly. Often ask the baby to show the bird, horse, cow, dog, cat, etc. Encourage him to pronounce (voice) the actions. An ideal role model is your own. Teach the baby new movements: “sit down”, “give”, “lie down”, “take”. Use games in which actions are performed at the command of adults: “Ladushki”, “Magpie-Crow”, “Top-Top”, etc.
Between 1.5 and 2.2 years, children try to connect two, or even three words. What can a baby usually say at this age? For example, phrases such as: “De Baba?”, “Give Pi”, etc. By this age, the child adopts generalized concepts. The word "impossible", for example, is used in various situations. Begin to increase the number and narrow the meaning of the words understood by the baby: name the details of the clothes (hat, sock, blouse, tights, etc.), furniture, toys. It is important to comment on the actions used: “take the toy”, “put on a shirt”, “fasten the button”, etc. It is advisable to accompany any action of the baby with the appeal.
By 2.6 years, the vocabulary of crumbs begins to grow rapidly. He already asks, pointing with a finger at an unfamiliar object: "What is this?" It’s hard to say what time the children start talking. If you mean already conscious speech (not the period of imitation), then, perhaps, at this age. The child does not pronounce the words clearly enough, often distortes them. And adults, trying to "go down to the level" of the child, also begin to distort their conversation, inhibiting the formation of the baby's speech. Indeed, why should a child learn to pronounce words clearly and correctly, if they understand so? Remember: the baby must hear all the words in the correct presentation! Then by three - three and a half years he himself will speak quite well. By this age, words will change in cases and numbers, and sentences will become more complex. However, it is impossible to overestimate the requirements, otherwise the child simply closes. By the way, this is one of the reasons why the child does not speak.
Three years is the time when the child switches to contextual speech. Here, coordination of attention, memory, analysis, and speech-motor apparatus is already required. The mismatch of the central nervous system can cause stubbornness and negativity on the part of the baby. This system is still quite vulnerable, therefore, against the background of stress (even a little), the so-called mutism and stuttering are possible. By the way, disruptions are possible in 6-7 years, when the time comes to begin the development of written language. At this time, the central nervous system is subject to heavy stress and is on the verge of stress.
If the delay in speech development is not associated with diseases of the central nervous system ...
If a child at the age of 2 does not speak, if he refuses to repeat your words, if he does not seek help and solves his childhood problems on his own, help in developing speech is definitely needed. Some parents attribute this behavior to obstinacy or early independence and do not hear the “first calls”. Ignoring leads to lag in speech development. This, in turn, is fraught with aggravation of obstinacy and self-will. Hysterical reactions may intensify. If a child does not speak for 2.5 years, and adults endlessly pester with a request “repeat”, “say”, you can also wait for more negativity. As a result, your child will not only not want to duplicate words, but will shut up altogether. Forget about such requests. At least for a while.
What to do?
First, create the conditions in which the child will be forced to communicate. A great option - playgrounds, ideal - a kindergarten. Children there develop faster, because they are not only forced to take an example with already in full contact peers, but also somehow express their wishes and needs. Many children who were silent for up to three years, suddenly begin to “give out” such complex words as “armored personnel carrier”, “synchrophasotron”, etc. By the way, they often start talking alone with them, completely refusing to communicate with adults.
Try to diversify the impressions of the child. He must daily receive new emotions and knowledge. Let it be trips to the circus, to the park, to nature. You are experiencing a storm of emotions when a child speaks the first word? Imagine - your crumbs also have an ocean of feelings, and he will want to share them with you.
And be sure to do it. The development of speech is a painstaking process that requires perseverance, mode, patience. Get ready for the fact that classes with a speech therapist are not limited to you.
Parent Responsibilities
Get involved with the baby. But turn the lessons into a game. Say the names of the items that you see together. If the baby does not repeat them - do not insist, let the training be inconspicuous, unobtrusive. Sincerely rejoice if your child speaks a new word. Praise him. Do not warn all the desires of the crumbs, put leading questions: “What color?”, “Do you want to eat?”, “What does the ladybug do?” Moreover, increase the complexity of the answers gradually, starting with a simple one. Read to the child nursery rhymes, fairy tales, hum songs. And be sure to play sounds (meowing, buzzing), encouraging attempts to repeat what you just said. Do not piss - words must be pronounced correctly, clearly. Comment on the actions (both his and his). Teach the baby to make faces (stretch lips, pull them into the tube, click the tongue), this is an excellent charge for the articulating apparatus. If the baby expresses desires with some gestures, correct him, voicing his desires in an interrogative form: “Do you want to drink?”, “Did the toy fall?” etc. Start a diary in which you will make all the changes: new sounds, words, onomatopoeia. So it will be easier to track the growth of speech development.
Talking games for kids
This is another weighty coin in the piggy bank. This type of activity will appeal to children who like to watch TV. If the child does not speak at 2 years old, pick up disks with such games for him. Learning will turn into real fun!
Games are designed taking into account the characteristic age characteristics of children. Here is the development of speech, and the expansion of horizons as a whole. Each age group has its own program, which is also divided into themes: sound pronunciation (Pozhuzhim, Tik-tak, etc.), horizons development (Pets, Wild Animals, Who said mu here etc.), the development of attention, memory, and hearing ("Riddles of sounds", "Visiting a bug", "Wizard", "Fairy", etc.), the development of breathing (mainly playing with a microphone: "Helicopter", "Bee" ”,“ Cake and Candles ”), a speaking alphabet for children and even joint creativity (you can come up with big and small stories, compare, name, repeat). Children perceive such activities much better, because they really take place in a playful way. On the one hand, adults do not crush, on the other, the baby is given independence (of course, under your supervision, but he does not even know about it). There is articulatory gymnastics, which to some extent can replace a speech therapist. This entire collection is entitled “Learning to Speak” for children from 2 to 7 years old.