What Happens If You Don't Treat Speech Delays?
Every child develops at their own pace, but communication milestones still matter. Some children are naturally quieter or take a little longer than their peers to begin talking; however, when speech and language delays are left untreated, the effects can extend further than just vocabulary and correct pronunciation. Communication skills have an influence on learning, social development (making friends), emotional well-being, and future academic success.
Many parents may be tempted to “wait and see” if their child’s speech development improves on its own, but while some children do catch up on their own, research consistently shows that early intervention gives children the best opportunity to build strong communication skills before the communication challenges become more difficult to address.
We recommend scheduling a free introductory call with us to discuss your child's challenges and see how speech therapy can help.
What are Speech Delays?
Speech delays are relatively common, and they happen when a child is not meeting the expected speech or language milestones for their age. In fact, approximately 1 in 14 (7.2%) of U.S. children ages 3-17 have had a disorder related to voice, speech, or language in the past 12 months.
Speech delays may include difficulty with pronunciation, limited vocabulary, or struggles with understanding and using language appropriately. While some speech delays are mild, there can also be many long-term challenges that come up if they are not treated correctly.
Academic Challenges Often Start Early
One of the biggest risks of untreated speech delays is that the child will struggle in school, and this is because having good language skills is closely connected to reading, writing, comprehension, and classroom participation. Children learn by listening, processing information, asking questions, and expressing ideas, and when communication is difficult, learning often becomes harder too.
A study published through PubMed followed children with speech and language impairments over a period of seven years and found that they continued to struggle with academic and cognitive performance throughout their childhood.
Children begin learning the foundation of literacy skills during the preschool and early elementary school years, and difficulties with language can affect:
- Reading comprehension
- Vocabulary growth
- Following instructions
- Phonological awareness
- Writing development
Without the right support, children can fall behind their peers academically, which can lead to increased frustration and negative feelings about school.
Untreated Speech Delays Can Negatively Affect A Child’s Social and Emotional Development
Communication skills are needed for a child’s social and emotional development as they use language to make friends, express their feelings, solve problems, and participate in group activities. Many children begin to experience social difficulties when speech delays are not treated, and it can cause them to:
- Withdraw from conversations
- Avoid interacting with their peers
- Feel embarrassed when speaking
- Experience low confidence
- Become frustrated to act out behaviourally
- Experience bullying
Children who know what they want to say but struggle to communicate it often feel emotional stress and have regular misunderstandings. Over time, untreated communication difficulties may contribute to anxiety, low self-esteem, and social isolation. Some children may begin avoiding participating in the classroom or group settings completely because, for them, speaking feels overwhelming and scary.
Delays Can Become More Noticeable Over Time
Some parents assume that their child will naturally “grow out of” speech delays, and while that can happen in certain situations, many delays become more noticeable as the child gets older.
A toddler may only need a few words to communicate their basic needs, but by kindergarten, children are expected to:
- Follow multi-step directions
- Answer questions clearly
- Tell stories
- Participate in conversations
- Understand classroom instructions
- Make friendships
Early Intervention is Important
One of the most important reasons to address speech delays early is that intervention tends to be more effective during early childhood. During the first few years of life, the brain is highly adaptable and responsive to learning, and early speech therapy for children can help them:
- Develop stronger communication skills
- Improve social interaction
- Build confidence
- Strengthen their literacy readiness
- Reduce long-term academic risks
Research regularly shows that there is a lot of value in early intervention for speech delays, but that does not mean that older children cannot improve as well. Speech therapy can be highly effective at all ages; however, early treatment often reduces the chances that the communication difficulties will interfere with other areas of their development.
Speech Delays May Be a Sign of Other Concerns as Well
Speech delays can occur on their own, but in some cases they may be connected to additional developmental or medical conditions, including:
- Hearing loss
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Oral-Motor Difficulties
- Intellectual, Neurological, or Genetic Conditions
If you delay getting a speech evaluation for the child’s speech delay, you may also be delaying the identification of one of these underlying issues. When families seek professional guidance early, they gain a clearer understanding of what their child needs and how to support their communication development the best way possible.
We recommend reading our blog post What Causes Speech Delays in Toddlers? Common Causes Every Parent Should Know, to better understand speech delays and the common causes.
The Good News: Children Can Make a Lot of Progress, and We Can Help!
Many children with speech delays make great progress with speech therapy. Speech therapy with Great Speech helps children develop the communication skills that they need in ways that are engaging, personalized, and age-appropriate.
Children who have regular speech therapy can improve their vocabulary, speech clarity, sentence formation, social communication, and confidence in speaking.
The first step to treating a speech delay is recognizing that there is a problem early and then getting the child the right help rather than waiting for the delays to “fix themselves”. Many speech delays or concerns covered in this article are covered by major insurance providers and cost families an average of just $18 per session. Great Speech is proud to partner with major insurance providers like Aetna, Cigna, Wellcare, Ambetter, Allwell, Priority Health, Triwest, Humana Military, and more! Schedule your free introductory call to get started.