Do late talkers ever “grow out of it”?

Who are late talkers?

 

Late talkers are toddlers or children that are late to start using words to communicate even though they may have typical development. Despite being able to comprehend what is being spoken to them, be it through play or spoken language, the child’s vocabulary to express themselves is limited when compared to their biological age.

 

At the age of 3 years old, I was unable to express myself meaningfully. However, with intensive language stimulation given at home by my parents, here I am 23 years later, working and helping children who have speech and language delay. 

 

So, do late talkers ever “grow out of it”? Personally, I would say “Yes, they do”. This is only possible if they are given the necessary help or assistance.

 

How do we help late talkers?

 

1.     Early Intervention:

The best possible method is to identify the problem early and provide the appropriate intervention. By approaching a speech therapist early, the child is given the best possible chance of overcoming the problem. 

 

2.      Home Factors:

Parents are the primary language stimulator for children at home. They have a major duty in providing intensive speech and language stimulation at home. This can be done by describing the objects, things or even people surrounding the child. This is the simplest way to work on the child’s comprehension of their surroundings and also to increase the child’s vocabulary. Another method is to give multiple choices to aid them in phrasing their answers to questions. By doing so, they would feel more confident in answering questions and be more likely to speak up in the future when similar questions are posed to them.