– A good number of parents face a disturbing prospect, the risk of their child having a speech disorder which was not detected during preschool or early years of primary school. Speech disorders typically happen during the early years and consist of difficulties in hearing, understanding and producing sounds in speech. They are among the most common “communication disorders” and can lead to severe social issues. If neglected, they can even keep a child academically behind from the start, with language difficulties remaining for life.

– Many parents, even if they suspect this kind of a problem, generally wait on the recommendation of an early childhood teacher before to seek out a speech therapist. However, according to a recent study published in the Australian Journal Learning Difficulties, almost a third of preschool teachers were unable to detect a common speech disorder among their young students. While the parents assessed their child’s difficulties accurately 88 percent of the time, the teachers were correct in only 71 percent of the cases. “The present study supports the prevailing view that parental judgments are valid and provide a strong basis for defining and diagnosing speech and language difficulties,” the researchers concluded.

Children Talking (Wikimedia Commons)

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