We Are A Team

There are multiple things we can do to address speech and language delays in children. One out of five children will have a speech and language delay (American Academy of Pediatrics). Parents, caregivers, teachers, and Doctors can help our children with these delays.

Doctors can initially discuss with parents and caregivers concerns in regard to the child's developmental delays including speech and language delays and concerns. A Pediatrician may recommend reaching out to an Early Intervention if the child is under the age of 3 to receive evaluation and services if needed. If the child is older than 3, a Pediatrician will recommend you reach out the public school in your area for evaluation. Public school systems are required to have services in place for children who need services and have aged out of Early Intervention. Once you contact the public school they will work with you and the child for evaluation and determine if the child meets criteria for services.

If your child is older and already school age, your child's teacher may reach out to you with concerns, or you may request evaluation as well from your child's school if you feel as though they need more or extra help.

Pediatricians may also note that along with speech and language delays, your child may have something else going on. This could be auditory processing disorder, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), dyslexia or other diagnoses (Eisenson, J). Many pediatricians if these diagnoses are suspected will refer you and your child to specialists for diagnostic testing.

If your child does not qualify for Early Intervention or Special Education Services within the public school system, your Pediatrician may refer your child to a Speech and Language Pathologist.

Teachers can help in numerous ways. First and foremost, if a teacher notices the student having difficulty with language or speech, the teacher should be discussing with the student's parents or caregivers to see if they possibly have the same concerns at home. Teachers can get reading specialists involved, as well as recommend to Special Education Services to start observing the child and express their concerns to see if they would like to evaluate the child. At this point, parents and caregivers will be brought in to weigh their options and discuss with the Special Education Team how things are going with their child.

Teachers also are required to test their students for early literacy within the school setting. One of these tests is known as the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). This evaluation is used to see how students are comprehending and doing with early literacy skills. This evaluation is usually given two times per school year, if not more to see where the student is falling and if they need more help such as Title 1 Services, or another accommodation. The DIBELS may also be used in discussion towards getting a student an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) (University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning).

Families which includes parents, caregivers, nannies, and even extended family members can help with speech and language delays. Within the home, caregivers should be communicating with the child on a continuing basis, reading, and playing games. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers learn through play! Play teaches young children how to interact socially, helps with communication, and also academics (Oddo & Castleberry, 2018). Playing with children in the home setting is needed just as much as play based curriculum is needed within the school setting.

Combining the settings of home, school, and therapies along with Doctors overseeing progress and concerns, helps us have the best foot forward to helping our child(ren) with speech and language delays and difficulties. Working together as a team, will help our child(ren) succeed overall.

References:

Eisenson, J. (1989). Impairments and Delays for Spoken and Written Language in Children. Education, 109(4), 419.

Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents. HealthyChildren.org. (n.d.). https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/language-delay.aspx.

Oddo, J. M., & Castleberry, L. (2018). The Importance of Play in The Development of Language Skills. Atlanta Speech School. https://www.theministryofparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Importance-of-Play-in-the-Development-of-Language-Skills.pdf.

University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). UO DIBELS® Data System. Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills : UO DIBELS Data System. https://dibels.uoregon.edu/assessment/dibels.