The Psychology of Communication Disorders: Help for the Child with Speech and Language Delay - Essay Example

The Psychology of Communication Disorders: Help for the Child with Speech and Language Delay The birth of a child is a blessing that brings joy to the whole family. Family members enjoy the baby’s little achievements until he grows up bigger and is able to display more entertaining antics. One of the most entertaining things that the family can hear from the young child is his speech and language. Everybody just loves talking to the little one because they are sure to hear funny sounds. When the child grows older however and noticeable delays in speech and language become apparent, then the mood at home changes and is replaced by worry over the child’s development. What if this scenario takes place? Your cousin tells you that their 4 year old has been diagnosed with a delay of speech and language with no obvious cause. Your cousin’s partner is from a non-dominant cultural background, which your cousin is well informed about and active within (including the second language. What is the family supposed to do in this case and how will the speech and language delays affect the child? Even clinicians tend to be confused whether to proceed with their assessment or to wait and see until the child improves in his communication (Busari & Weggelaar, 2004). Interestingly, some children are able to catch up but the others develop social problems as adults. Because of this, it is imperative that help for the child diagnosed with a speech and language delay should be a family effort that should be given their utmost attention. In this way, whatever worries or negative feelings they may have about it can be resolved and the child’s environment becomes conducive to his recovery. Speech-Language Delay and Bilingualism According to Busari & Weggelaar (2004), speech and language delays affect children from 3 to 16 years old. It has been described as “delay in speech and/or language development compared with controls matched for age, sex, cultural background, and intelligence” (Busari & Weggelaar, 2004). A delay is considered when the speech and language development does not meet the expectations or milestones set for a particular age so that the child tends to be slower in his pace (Ansel et al. as cited in Leung & Pion Kao,1999). A child graduates from making cooing sounds, imitating words, and mixing words until they are able to make a complete sentence (Leung & Pion Kao,1999). More specifically, a child who is between 4 to 5 years old is already expected to use at least six words in one sentence and be able to identify at least four of the colors he sees (Schwartz as cited in Leung & Pion Kao,1999). However, if these are not carried out by the child then this may be a reason to believe that a speech and language delay is present. While this delay could be asymptomatic of other disorders such as autism, it has been found that bilingualism can be a secondary and temporary cause for the problem (Leung & Pion Kao,1999). The American Academy of Family Physicians (1999) had even affirmed this finding. Gupta (1994) had likewise pointed out that South Asian preschool kids in Manchester have been referred for speech and language therapy often. In the case mentioned earlier, this can give hope to the family of the 4 year old child who is from a non-dominant or non-English speaking environment at home. Leung and Pion Kao (1999) even stated that the same child can develop competence in two languages as he grows up that this developmental delay is something that can be positively worked. A Typical Day in the Life of a Child with a Speech and Language Delay Now that it has been established that the 4 year old child has a big chance of overcoming his condition, then it is wise to focus on emphasizing the things that he can do and helping him improve on the tasks that he finds difficulty in (Busari & Weggelaar, 2004). The World Health Organization (2001) related that there is the International Classification of functioning, disability, and health or the ICF that can be relied upon for a comprehensive explanation of various conditions of individual well-being. In the case of the young child, he needs to be examined physically and have his overall sensibilities checked (Busari & Weggelaar, 2004). This means that a delay in speech and language development will not mean he will be unable to rely on his physical abilities and talents. The same is true with his mental functioning. He needs to undergo intelligence testing so that his non-verbal abilities can be emphasized and put to good use. The child’s particular developmental delay will not affect his capacity to analyze and solve problems that confront him in his young life. On the other hand, the same child may not be expected to relate a short anecdote at this stage (American Academy of Family Physicians, 1999). He may not even able to communicate in simple sentences. This parameters will tend to differ from child to child but what is important is that something can be done to help him out. The Effect of Culture on Communication and How the Family Can Help A study made by Snowling et al. (2006) showed that those whose speech and language delays have continued until the child is in formal schooling tended to have interpersonal struggles later in life. These social problems with their peer groups have adversely affected their psychological health as well (Law & Conti-Ramsden, 2000). Furthermore, in a study of non-English speaking individuals, Nelson (2006) found that parents’ educational attainment, family size and overloading are risk factors in the development of speech and language delays. With these, it is essential that the home and school environment should be one which is less threatening and more accommodating for the four year old child with the delay (Leung & Pion Kao,1999). Parents, siblings, and significant others should not tolerate the lack of ability to express himself completely by using baby talk or laugh at the mistakes as if they are funny. In communicating with the child however, simple words and sentences should be used so that it can be easily understood. An assessment as to the frequency of English and non-English speech and language used at home should be carried out (Connecticut Birth to Three System, 1998). The native language should be established in the child first so that easy learning the second one will be facilitated for the child (Erikson as cited in Connecticut Birth to Three System, 1998). Pollock (2005) promoted that children vary in their speech and language development in English but Roberts (2005) believed that more globally adopted toddlers were able to acquire them faster. In school, the parents should request for the child to be included in a small group so that proper attention can be given to him. The Impact of Speech and Language Delay on the Family Nelson (2006) found that parent’s and other family members’ learning difficulties, poor socioeconomic standing, or talking late as a child increases the risk of such delays in children. Rice et al. and Tomblin (as cited in Bishop& Leonard 2000) expressed that the likelihood of speech and developmental delay tend to occur more in children when there is member of the family who has been recognized with a language disorder. Because of this, blaming on the particular family member can occur even when this is something unwanted or unintended in the individual in the first place. These in turn can create a strain in the relationship among family members when acceptance or denial of its existence persists. This can be further aggravated when the child’s delays become apparent as he enters preschool education and his teachers will call on the parents for a conference. The language disorder of a parent or a family member can be highlighted that if there is no acceptance and proactive stance towards the problem then the individual himself can feel bad about his negative contribution. Therapy and Support Evidently, both child and family have certain difficulties to face with when a child is confronted with a speech and language delay. As mentioned earlier however, the child may not be requiring any form of therapy at all because there are those who just open up and start to bloom in their development (American Academy of Family Physicians, 1999). Even then however, early detection and intervention is a must if later complications are to be avoided (Cantwell; Baker as cited in Busari & Weggelaar, 2004). Busari and Weggelaar (2004) recommended that the approach to a child’s delay in speech and language should be one which is collaborative that it involves those in the home, in school, and the health community. On the other hand, Leung and Pion Kao (1999) believed that it is but logical for the child’s treatment plan to be customized or individualized in order to address his unique needs. The professionals involved in this process may involve a developmental pediatrician, a speech and language therapist, and a child psychiatrist. These people can render medical attention, communication skills training, and psychological support. With all these interventions, the four year old with a speech and language delay will see him self catching up with the rest of his age mates while his family feel happy with his development and look forward to the joy he brings once again. References American Academy of Family Physicians. (1999). Speech and language delay: What does this mean for my child? American Family Physician. Bishop, D. & Leonard, L. (2000). Speech and language impairments in children: Causes, characteristics, intervention and outcome. Hove: Psychology Press. Busari, J., & Weggelaar, N.(2004). How to investigate and manage the child who is slow to speak. British Medical Journal, 328(7434), 272-276. Connecticut Birth to Three System. (1998). Children referred for speech delays. Connecticut: Department of Mental Retardation. Gupta, A. (1994). The step-tongue: Childrens English in Singapore. Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters. Law, J. & Conti-Ramsden, G. (2000). Treating children with speech and language impairments. British Medical Journal, 321(7266), 908-909. Leung, A., & Pion Kao C. (1999). Evaluation and management of the child with speech delay. American Family Physician. Nelson, H. (2006). Screening for speech and language delay in preschool children. Systematic Evidence Review, 41, 1-173. Pollock, K.E. (2005). Early language growth in children adopted from China: Preliminary normative data. Seminars in Speech and Language, 26(1), 22-32. Roberts, J.A., et al. (2005). Continued catch-up and language delay in children adopted from China. Seminars in Speech and Language, 26 (1), 76-85. Snowling, M.J. et al. (2006). Psychosocial outcomes at 15 years of children with a preschool history of speech-language impairment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47 (8), 759-765. World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health: ICF : short version. World Health Organization. Read More