Identify the Signs

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month!  A time when speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and those touched by communication and/or swallowing disorders make an extra effort to raise awareness of speech, language, listening, hearing, voice, fluency, pragmatic, and swallowing disorders.  {Check out my newsletter for this month here.}

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recently launched a new campaign to educate and raise awareness about communication disorders.  Called Identify the Signs, this campaign specifically aims to help people recognize the early warning signs of communication disorders.

An estimated 40 million Americans have trouble speaking or hearing due to a communication disorder. Millions more family members and friends are also impacted. I have seen the debilitating effects that these issues can have when left unaddressed. Too often, people wrestle with these challenges for years because they fail to receive proper, timely treatment. Early detection of speech, language, and hearing issues is absolutely critical to improving academic, social, and career outcomes—and improving one’s quality of life at any age.

For people with communication disorders, those closest to them are often their biggest asset. Unfortunately, many are unable to identify the warning signs or dismiss them too readily. I encourage you to visit the website. Mostly, I hope you will seek help if you suspect that you or a loved one is struggling. Left untreated, communication disorders often lead to larger academic, social, developmental, and behavioral issues. Early diagnosis is the most powerful way to reduce or even reverse their impact and can give your loved ones the opportunity to lead the fullest lives possible.

Here are some other resources to help you identify the signs:

• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website
• Red Flags blog post by Playing With Words 365
• First Signs website
• The Hanen Centre website: When You Are Concerned
• Wondering if your child's development is on track?  Take the screening (Ages & Stages Questionnaire) on the Easter Seals Make the First 5 Count website

Books (Amazon Affiliate links):

• Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know, Third Edition by Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi
• My Toddler Talks: Strategies and Activities to Promote Your Child's Language Development by Kimberly Scanlon
• Talking on the Go: Everyday Activities to Enhance Speech and Language Development by Dorothy Dougherty & Diane Paul
• It Takes Two To Talk: A Practical Guide for Parents of Children with Language Delays by Jan Peper & Elaine Weitzman

• How to Help Your Child Talk: The eBook by Katie Yeh

Don’t wait. If you have concerns about your child’s development, trust your “gut”. Help is available! Seeking the professional opinion of a speech-language pathologist can put your mind at ease, or put you on the path to finding the help your child needs. Speech and language does not come “naturally” to every child. Some children need a different approach. Earlier intervention can make a difference. A speech-language pathologist can assess your child and let you know if your child’s “problem” is a normal stage of development or a speech or language delay/disorder.