The holistic approach to speech delay

If you’ve been tirelessly searching for ways to help your child's speech improve, you’re not alone. Around 1 in 14 children experience developmental language delays. 

You might have tried the traditional routes in speech therapy sessions, without seeing progress. Or maybe, you’ve been waiting for months on a waiting list, praying it’s your turn soon.

Having a child who isn’t keeping pace with their peers’ progress can fill parents with worry. You might fear that you’re doing something wrong, or that the progress will never come.

Or, perhaps your child showed typical signs of development, hitting their markers, and then seemed to lose their speech skills, regressing.

The journey that you and your child walk is unique, and there will be moments that you’re presented with challenges: a fallen tree in the path, a flood that crosses your route. But with patience, and determination, you can find ways to work with these challenges.

My mission is to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to support your child's speech development naturally, regardless of the obstacles you've encountered so far.

Supporting the signs of speech delay

Speech delay looks different depending on the age at which it makes itself known. These signs suggest your child might have a language delay.

By 12 months, your child isn’t engaging in babbling, or using gestures like waving or pointing.

By 18 months, your child demonstrates a preference for gestures rather than verbally conveying messages. They may struggle with replicating sounds. They may struggle to understand simple verbal requests like “Wave to Granny!”

By 2 years old, they don’t use spontaneous words or phrases. They might repeatedly use the same sounds or words, or imitate sounds or phrases they’ve heard. They may find it difficult following straightforward instructions, like “Can you bring me your book for storytime?”

You might notice that your child understand what you say – they can follow instructions, but they have a hard time expressing themselves and seem reticent to talk.

Or, your child might have difficulty understanding and expressing.

Speech delay can affect the emotional world of children, and studies have linked it with difficulty emotionally regulating and mental health concerns. You might notice frustration in your child as they try and communicate with you.

If your child also finds non-verbal communication difficult – they don’t smile, or avoid eye contact, autism could be an underlying factor. In this instance, it may be beneficial to have them assessed for the condition by a specialist.

The connection between speech delay and neurodiversity is a topic of significant interest in the field of developmental psychology and neurology. While speech delay is one of the hallmarks of neurodiverse conditions, not every child with speech delay is neurodiverse. Speech delay can manifest for various reasons. 

Common causes of speech delay

Delays in the development of the muscles of the tongue or lips (known as oral-motor development issues) can delay speech.

Hearing impairments, even minor ones, can affect a child’s ability to learn or reproduce sounds.

Genetic factors can play a role in speech and language development. If there is a family history of speech delay or language disorders, a child may be at higher risk.

Babies born prematurely, or with low birth weight may face developmental challenges, including those which affect their speech.

Several factors can negatively impact cognitive health, causing speech delay. These include undiagnosed food allergies and intolerances, imbalances of good and bad bacteria in the gut and conditions like leaky gut.

Toxins like heavy metals, pesticides and pollutants can negatively impact neurological development. Reducing contact with exposures is a key aspect of treatment. 

Lifestyle factors

While waiting for speech therapy sessions to begin, parents and caregivers can play a crucial role in their child's speech development by implementing lifestyle and diet changes.

Prioritise foods which support their brain health, like fish, flaxseeds, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.

Encourage physical activity and play that engage speech related muscles, like naming toys or animals, and making the sounds that they do. Baa goes the sheep, or vroom goes the truck. Singing songs, or playing imitation games where they mimic facial expressions and sounds may also help. To support cognitive health, you can try hiding balls under cups and moving them around and asking “Where is it?”

Limiting exposure to toxins – this can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for. You can identify hidden toxins in the home by talking to a naturopath about what’s in your home.

Stress can cause regression, or delays in speech skills. It’s not always easy to keep calm – whether it’s pressures from work, or inside your relationship, stress is everywhere. But, if you can take steps to create calm in your home, or inside yourself, it can make a big difference. Your little one co-regulates with your nervous system, falling in sync with your state of being. Reducing stress helps support development – and has the added bonus of bringing you more peace of mind.

Reading, storytelling, singing songs, and simple things like narrating daily life can help stimulate language skills and communication.
Limiting screen time and prioritising face-to-face interactions like playdates with other kids helps encourage communication.

Navigating speech delay is a process – be patient with both yourself and your child. Maintain open communication and offer encouragement and positive reinforcement for their progress, even if it’s slow, or subtle. 

If you need help, reach out

Speech delay isn’t a journey you have to navigate alone. I provide holistic, personalised support for speech delays. I specialise in kids’ health, taking the time to understand the full context of their health struggles.

Together, we’ll  embark on a comprehensive journey to understand and address the unique factors contributing to your child’s challenges. I use modern diagnostic tools like testing to identify the underlying factors and triggers contributing to speech delay.

Taking all these factors into consideration, I’ll curate an individualised treatment plan for your child, providing ongoing guidance to empower both of you on the path to improved speech and wellbeing.

References

• A M D’Mello et al, Cerebellar gray matter differentiates children with early language delay in autism, 2016.
• A Othman, Child developmental delays and disorders: speech and language delay, 2021.
• E Santocchi et al, Gut to brain interaction in Austim spectrum disroders: a randomised controlled trial on the role of probiotics on clinical, biochemical and neurophysiological parameters, 2016.
• M Aguilera et al, Vocabulary abilities and parents’ emotional regulation predict regulation in school-age children, but not adolescents with and without developmental language disorder, 2021.
• D Johnson, Child speech and language problems ‘lead to emotional difficulty’, 2022.