Speech Delay vs Autism: Understanding and Recognising the Difference
All children grow and develop at their own pace. No two children are the same in meeting their expected developmental milestones. Nonetheless, you may worry if your child is not exhibiting normal achievements for their age, especially regarding communication, social behaviour, and intellectual development.
Some children may be able to talk by the time they are two, while others may show a delay in speech development. It is common for parents to worry that something is wrong with their children. It is pertinent, however, to distinguish speech delay from autism as early as possible. By doing so, we can help children with autism thrive and live a fulfilling life.
This blog will discuss the difference between speech delay and autism, plus the signs of autism in toddlers you should watch out for.
What are the developmental milestones for toddlers?
During the toddler years, your child will change considerably in the five main areas of development – physical, emotional, social, cognitive, language, and sensory and motor skills.
Children between the ages of 1 and 3 should be able to draw lines when shown one, say their first and last names, take turns and share toys, walk without assistance, recognise colours, use more words, understand simple commands, and feed themselves with a spoon.
Regarding speech and language skills, toddlers are expected to speak a handful of words by age 1. At this point, they may have a limited vocabulary, but you can help it grow by talking to them every day. At around 18 months, your child may use about 20 to 100 meaningful words; by two years old, they can put two words together, such as “I go” or “mommy car”. At this age, they can also describe objects using simple adjectives such as “big”, “small”, or “red”.
By reaching 3 to 4, they can have more extended conversations using complex words. Moreover, this is the time they start preschool, where they learn to socialise with others. They can tell simple stories and use words as part of their play with others.
Why is my child not talking?
Your child’s language skills will progress dramatically in the first few years of life. But it can be hard to know if they’re reaching the proper milestones since every child develops on their timeline. Observing your child is always helpful; if you feel they’re not coping well like others, you may want to seek professional help.
Many things can cause speech delay, including learning abilities, hearing loss, physical problems in the roof of the mouth, and diagnosable conditions like cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In some instances, kids are not exposed to socialisation much, so they find it challenging to engage in conversations or find the right words. Is it just a speech delay, or can it be autism? Let’s dive deeper to learn more.
What is the difference between speech delay and autism?
Both speech delay and autism impact language development. However, there are notable differences between the two.
Speech delay or alalia is the delay in developing or using articulators to produce speech. It usually happens when your child has difficulty developing speech and language skills. Meanwhile, autism is a neurological disorder affecting learning, communication, social skills, and behaviour.
Simply put, the main difference between speech delay and autism-related speech delay is that children who are late talkers still attempt to communicate with others but find different ways to do so. For instance, they still babble sounds, use eye contact, point to an object they want, or use body language. If your child is not verbally communicating but can engage with other people, play with other kids, or socialise in their own way, it’s more of a speech delay.
Meanwhile, children with ASD may have difficulty developing language skills and understanding what others say to them. They also often have difficulty communicating nonverbally, such as through hand gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions. However, ASD children use nonverbal ways like hand pulling. The main thing is that other traits like repetitive behaviours and rigidity, poor social skills, inconsistent responses to names and instructions, and lack of eye contact accompany ASD.
How ABA therapy and speech therapy can help your child
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) therapy can help children with speech and language delays, even those with autism. So, this treatment method is effective in assisting children in unlocking their true potential.
Since language development is a multi-faceted field, ABA therapists may work with other healthcare professionals, like developmental paediatricians, speech-language pathologists, and even occupational therapists, to determine whether the speech delay results from language deficits or behavioural issues.
Often, children get frustrated when they cannot understand others or when they are not understood, especially when they’re verbalising their wants or needs. ABA therapy can help children cope with the situation and focus on making others understand them better.
In addition to ABA therapy, speech therapy assists children with speech delays. As ABA therapy focuses on improving social skills through interventions based on learning theory principles, speech therapy helps children pronounce words and sounds and strengthen their facial and mouth muscles.
These two therapies work hand in hand in helping children break the communication barrier and freely verbalise and communicate their feelings and thoughts. Regardless of their diagnoses, all children deserve a chance to live a fulfilling and rewarding life.
The takeaway
Both speech delay and autism benefit from ABA therapy and supportive treatments designed to help your child live in a world they understand. Being unable to express what they think or feel can be frustrating. Our children need our help to overcome these obstacles to thrive and live a happy and enjoyable life.
If you are looking for a reliable ABA provider in Singapore, we’d like to invite you to learn about what we do by browsing our website. AutismSTEP provides personalised ABA therapy for children with varying needs. Hence, you can help your child cope with everyday challenges and live to the fullest. At AutismSTEP, we understand your worries and are here to help you and your child.
To help you make an informed decision on the type of therapy your child needs, please schedule a consultation with us today for an evaluation and to learn more about early autism signs, or call +65 6456 9950.