Applied Final Project

SETTING THE SCENCE 1

Diary: My 2-year-old has not begun speaking yet

Monday 16th November 2020

Dear Diary,

Today as I sat on the porch, Mason, my 2-year-old, came to me crying. I tried asking him what the matter was, but he refused to speak. He just pointed at an orange fruit that had fallen on the ground, then he pointed at his head. I concluded that the orange fruit hit his head before falling to the ground. Today's incident reminds me of one day when he was afraid of a moth flying next to him. Mason almost fell running towards me screaming. I thought a dog was chasing him, but on asking, he just pointed at a moth that landed near the window; he did not speak. Mason does not speak while requesting something; he uses signs instead. I have just realized, if I do not address this issue, his inability to speak may end up having a language disorder in the future.

According to research, the causes of delayed speech in children include hearing challenges that result in speech disorder. Such conditions may result from a cleft palate where a hole develops in the room of the child's mouth (Mohammed, Ahmed, & Ramadan, 2020). Cleft palate is a congenital disability that interferes with the airflow as it moves through the child's nose, mouth, and throat, causing speech disorder. The cleft palate solution is consulting with the doctor for a perfect way of eliminating the defect early.

The other cause of delayed speech in children includes expressive-receptive disorder that makes it hard for a child to understand and produce language. An expressive language disorder is the child's inability to recover the exact words and make the right sentences (Mohammed, Ahmed, & Ramadan, 2020). A child with expressive language problems may behave the same way as my child, who cannot produce sound and instead uses signs while speaking. Receptive language illness is the incapability of a child to produce and understand language. The expressive-receptive disorder makes it almost impossible for a child to talk; it may cause delayed speech in the child.

To solve the delayed speech challenge in Mason, I have organized to meet a speech therapist today in the evening. The specialist will help me identify and understand the problem. The (speech) therapist will advise me on the methods to use to solve the challenge. After the consultation, I believe that Mason will start understanding and pronouncing words over time. Let me prepare to meet the doctor in time.

Reference

Mohammed, H., Ahmed, R., & Ramadan, J. (2020). Delayed Speech in Children.