Parents face a lot of problem on how to raise a child. What if your child only grunts and points at things to communicate at an age when children his or her age are already babbling? What if your child has problems talking? How do you cope with having a speech delayed child?
Children develop their skills at different rates or their pace. But what if at an age when babies are happily babbling, your stays silent? How about when your child grows a little older, he or she can't understand what you're saying? What if your child can't talk yet?
Most likely your baby could just be a late bloomer, but if worse comes to worst, your child could have speech delay or language problems. With the help of a speech-language pathologist, your child will eventually catch up with his or her peers.
Speech delay problems can be dealt with the support of a speech-language pathologist. Along with the required sessions of speech therapy and support and understanding from parents, a speech-delayed child can overcome his or her problems. But sometimes even if parents, in the outside, seem like they are coping well with their situation are hiding emotional scars that can affect how they view their child or how they view themselves.
Most of the time, you can't control what happens to you. All you can do is try to deal with what you've been given as best as you can. Blaming one's self for having a speech delayed child can not only hinder the progress your child has already achieved but also strains your relationship with your child.
Speech delayed children know they are different and with their silence or limited communication skills, they too suffer. Blaming yourself won't help anyone especially your speech delayed child. Embrace his or her silence. Be the support your child needs as he or she goes through this phase in his or her life.
Coping with a having a speech delayed child is tough. There is a stigma that you are a bad parent as your child at his or her age still can't talk yet. But getting caught up on what other people are saying or what other people think will make you forget about what's really important for your speech delayed child.
One mother relates that she continuously observes children of her own daughter's age talk. She always looks for things that her speech delayed daughter lacks This constant comparison with other people's children overshadowed what progress her speech delayed daughter has achieved.
Eventually, the mother realized that she was fervently hoping to hear her daughter's voice that she forgot to see her daughter really. She forgot to note that even if her daughter can't speak yet, her child has grown into someone who has developed a fervent love of life.
Don't let your expectations and other's expectations blind you from what is important. Just like in speech delay, let your child and your relationship grow at your pace. What your baby needs most is extra love and support as he or she overcomes speech delay.
