Urban legend claims speech delay is not serious. The legend also says,"boys talk later" and "most all" kids will "catch up" naturally. The fact is MOST kids don't just catch up naturally. Never let these urban legends stop you from seeking help. What if you allowed denial to keep your child from the gift of early intervention? What is it turned out to be nothing? What is the worst that can happen? You have a child that speaks well and you can stop speech therapy! There is no loser in seeking help early. Denial, and delay can lead to a tremendous amount of personal guilt as windows of opportunity may never be regained.
Many people still believe children who are speech delayed because of poor parenting skills. This is not the case, unless the parents has been very negligent or abusive. Thanks to the latest research as demonstrated in the documentary, The New Science of Learning, MRI's now show that at 6 months, they can predict which babies will have speech issues. If your baby shows any delays, do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician. Ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech and language therapist or a developmental pediatrician for an evaluation as soon as possible. If you child is under age 3, you can call your local regional center for a free appointment to have them evaluate your baby. Regional centers will evaluate and offer intervention services at no cost. If your child is age 3 or over, call your local school district to ask for an evaluation. If the school district finds your pre-schooler eligible, they will offer speech therapy and possibly other services, if needed.
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