And of course, late talking is one of the primary symptoms of autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and for intellectual disability (which was formally known as mental retardation).
Many kids with speech delays have oral–motor problems. These happen when there's a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech. This makes it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue, and jaw to make speech sounds. These kids also might have other oral-motor problems, such as feeding problems.
It's often caused by brain damage before or during birth or in a child's first years. Often there can also be hearing issues and a disconnect between cognitive function and stimuli.
Delays in language are the most common types of developmental delay. One out of 5 children will learn to talk or use words later than other children their age. Some children will also show behavioral problems because they are frustrated when they can't express what they need or want.
Children with autism often have speech delays, but speech delays alone do not mean your child has autism. Autistic speech delays usually occur along with other communication issues, such as not using gestures, not responding to their name, and not showing interest in connecting with people.
A delay in speech or language is one of the earliest signs we have for kids that do go on to get a diagnosis of ADHD later in childhood. In this 2012 study, researchers found that two-thirds of the elementary-aged kids with ADHD had a speech or language delay at 18 months.
It is when there is consistent regression, setbacks in engagement, or disconnection in understanding verbal language that there is reason to suspect a speech delay. Around the age of 1.5 to 2 years, it is recommended that a diagnosis of delays and disorders is made and intervention is begun.
While speech delays are very common among children with autism, they are common in children without autism as well.
A child with a speech delay tends to naturally use body language and eye contact. Autistic children, on the other hand, may have trouble with social interaction, play skills, communication, and behavior. Children with autism may prefer to be alone.
So if your toddler is 2 or 3 years old and isn't yet talking, it's vital to go ahead and speak with their pediatrician, or with a speech-language pathologist. They will likely recommend a speech evaluation in order to assess your child's current abilities. Early intervention is so important in these situations.
Children born to vitamin D deficient mothers have been found to have a two-fold higher risk of language difficulties compared with the mothers with sufficient levels of vitamin D [9].
Delays can also be caused by neglect, abuse, or an event or circumstance that was really disruptive to development. These are atypical scenarios though that we rarely encounter. For the average parent doing their best, you can rest assured that your child's speech or language delay is definitely not your fault.
Einstein Syndrome is the term used to characterize a child who has a speech delay but is simultaneously gifted in other areas requiring analytical thought.
Talking: What to expect when
By age 3, your child will probably have words for almost everything. And by age 4, he'll talk in sentences using five or more words, though his vocabulary will vary widely. He'll also be able to answer simple questions and mimic adult sounds well enough for most strangers to understand him.
Some children with autism may start talking at 12-16 months. Most don't start talking until later. Some will start talking between the ages of 2-3 years. Other children talk even later, and some children never learn to talk.
Pragmatics and ADHD
Blurting out answers, interrupting, talking excessively and speaking too loudly all break common communication standards, for example. People with ADHD also often make tangential comments in conversation, or struggle to organize their thoughts on the fly.
The primary features of ADHD include inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they're noticeable as early as 3 years of age.
70-80% of late talkers will catch up (Whitehouse et. al, 2011). “Late talker” refers to a little one younger than 30 months old who is meeting milestones in other domains, including understanding of language, just not in expressive communication. But unfortunately, that does mean that 20-30% will continue to struggle.
In short, speech delay is a fairly common condition that worries many parents. However, knowing how to speak sooner or later does not affect a child's intelligence but can also be a sign of some pathologies such as autism, Einstein syndrome,...
Children with known factors such as Down's Syndrome, Autism, Motor Speech problems (dyspraxia) may be still building foundation skills in the pre-school years. However, a child with no known medical diagnosis that is not talking at 3 and 4 years of age should definitely seek professional advice.
Vitamin D has been suggested as a therapy to improve symptoms of ASD including speech [18].
Speech delays can be developmental in nature, meaning your child is following typical speech patterns but at a slower rate than his/her peers. They can also be due to a speech motor disorder (ex: apraxia of speech) that impedes their ability to coordinate their lips, jaw, and tongue to make accurate sounds.