How Developmental Delays Affect Speech in Children

Developmental delays are certainly concerning to parents, but they are not all that uncommon. In fact, the most common cause of developmental delays is a premature baby, which many parents experience.

“If a child is born prematurely, he may not meet the milestones that his or her chronological age suggests,” says Diane Paul, PhD, the director of clinical issues in speech language pathology for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). “It's normal for preterm babies to need as much as a year or two to catch up to their peers.”

Another common cause of developmental delay is hearing loss or impairment, which affects 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children born. And of course, there are more serious developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, and other intellectual disabilities.

Developmental delays such as premature birth or hearing impairment can cause a number of early setbacks for a child, and one of those is delays in speech and language. A premature baby, for example, is actually physically and emotionally younger than his chronological age, so he may develop skills like speech later than other children his age.

When it comes to hearing loss, it’s no surprise that a child who has difficulty hearing will also have difficulty speaking. “When left undetected, hearing loss of any degree, including mild bilateral (in both ears) and unilateral (in one ear), can adversely affect speech, language, and academic and psychosocial development,” says Dr. Paul.

Improving Speech in Children With Developmental Delays

The best approach to improving speech in children with developmental delays is to catch the problem early through careful monitoring and then begin to address it right away. “Speech language pathologists will often evaluate the preterm child based on his adjusted age (counting from his birth date) until age two,” says Paul.

In fact, even before a child begins speaking, you can look for some clues that speech might become a challenge later on. “If a child seems to have trouble using eye gaze and gestures to get what he wants or if he doesn't babble or use other sounds, he may be at risk for a speech or language delay,” says Paul. “Other red flags include a child's lack of comprehension of what you say or his inability to use objects. Even if a child does well with these tasks but still has trouble with sounds and words, he may need help.”

For a baby with hearing impairment, treating the hearing problem often helps with speech development, as well. “Children with hearing impairments need to be followed and treated from birth,” says Diane Bahr, a speech language pathologist and author of Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That: Everything from Bottles and Breathing to Healthy Speech Development. “Hearing is essential for speech development. Many of these children are now given cochlear implants to perceive sounds, but they also require speech training to acquire speech.”

The Outlook for Children With Developmental Delays

When it comes to overcoming the speech and language issues related to developmental delays, the prognosis really depends on the severity of the initial problem. As a general rule, however, speech problems that are related to muscle control will require more extensive therapy than those that do not.

“Those delays that don’t have a physical component tend to improve faster,” says Kathryn Thorson Gruhn, a speech language pathologist and author in private practice in North Carolina. “If the child has developed adverse feelings about his speech, self-esteem issues and poor interaction with peers and family, the child’s communication attempts may become more difficult. When a child with a developmental delay understands that language gives him a sense of control, therapy can end quite quickly.”

Regardless of the cause, the key to successful treatment is to catch the problem early and begin to address it immediately. “The earlier speech and language disorders are identified and treated, the better, regardless of the cause,” says Paul.