WHEN SHOULD I SEEK OUT A SPEECH THERAPIST?

You should reach out to a speech therapist if you are having any of the following concerns for your child:

• Speech Delays

• Developmental Delays

• Articulation Concerns

• Difficulty during mealtimes

• Difficulty with eating and swallowing

• Bottle-feeding and breastfeeding trouble

• If you believe your child might present with a tongue or lip tie

• Therapy Guidance following a Frenulectomy or Frenectomy tongue or lip procedure

WHAT ARE SPEECH DELAYS?

Speech delays, also known as alalia, refer to a delay in the development or use of speech mechanisms by young children. Speech delays can manifest in a child’s expression of language, a child’s understanding of language, or a child’s pronunciation of language.

WHAT ARE DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS?

A developmental delay occurs when a child has not gained the appropriate developmental skills expected of him or her, compared to other children of the same age. These delays may occur in the areas of motor function, speech and language, cognition, and social skills.

Some examples of developmental delays are:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder,

• Cerebral Palsy,

• Down Syndrome,

• Genetic Disorders,

• Intellectual Disorders.

WHAT ARE ARTICULATION DISORDERS?

Articulation disorders occur when a child experiences difficulty producing specific sounds. Many times, articulation disorders can be masked by mumbling. However, parents often realize that they are having trouble understanding what their child is saying.

WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS OF DIFFICULTIES AT MEAL TIME?

Picky eating

Slow Eating, Grazing throughout the day

Pocketing food in the cheeks like a chipmunk

Difficulty transitioning to solid foods

Trouble gaining weight

Choking or Gagging on Food

Spitting out food

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY INFANT IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH FEEDING AND SWALLOWING?

• Milk dribbling when drinking from a bottle

• Painful latch when nursing

• Reflux

• Colicky symptoms

• Difficulty with transition to solid food

• Poor weight gain

• Lots of spit up

WHAT IS A TONGUE TIE?

Tongue ties, also called Ankyloglossia, are a condition present in up to one-third of children at birth and restrict the tongue’s range of motion. Tongue ties occur when an unusually strong band of tissue tethers the tongue to the floor of the mouth, and this can interfere with breastfeeding, eating, swallowing and speaking in children.

WHAT IS A LIP TIE?

Lip ties occur when the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums is too tight, too thick, or both, potentially causing issues with lip mobility.