Dubai, UAE - Your baby’s first word is a fantastic milestone that fills your heart with great happiness and excitement. It is a pivotal milestone in your child's ability to communicate and connect with the world around them. It is the onset of the speech development journey that will shape their ability to connect, learn, and thrive. While most kids reach this milestone on time, some may experience speech delays.

What is speech delay?
Speech and language skills develop from an infant's first cooing. Babies ultimately begin to babble as the months pass. Every kid develops on their own timetable. Because of this, it can be difficult for parents and carers to determine if their child is simply a late talker (and will soon be a chatter) or whether there is an issue that requires expert intervention. There are always signs and symptoms you can look out for.

Speech Milestones
Children develop at varied speeds and they often reach key milestones at certain ages. The general developmental milestones are listed below.

By 1 year
Your baby will say at least 1 word.
Your baby's babbling and vocalisation will increase between the ages of 4 and 6 months. The baby will begin to make vowel sounds, and as they approach 6 months, they will begin to combine consonant and vowel sounds.
When you call your baby's name between the ages of 6 and 9 months, they should come to a halt and turn towards you.
Your youngster should also respond to varied sounds you produce and may even begin to imitate them.
Most babies start making gestures around the age of 12 months. They may begin waving hello and goodbye and shaking their heads "no."
Make sounds while pointing to stuff they want that is out of reach.

Between 1-2 years
Around this age, your child will be able to point to different objects when prompted ("Show us your teddy bear").
Your infant should be able to reply to their name, grasp basic phrases like "no" and "bye-bye," and obey simple instructions like "hold your doll" by 18 months.
When asked, point to a few bodily parts.
Name a few familiar objects and pictures.
Between the ages of 18 and 24, you should learn about one new word per week.

By 2 years
Your child should be able to convey their urgent needs to you through words by 24 months (though not all of them will be completely coherent).
At this age, your child will understand and follow simple directions or requests like "Pick up the toy" or "Give me the cup" about half of the time.
Your child should be able to say 50-100 words.
They can say a few two-word sentences such as "Mommy juice," "Big doll," and "good dog."
They can say a couple of 3-word statements like "I want an apple" or "Bye-bye Daddy"
Imaginative play is frequently engaged by developing scenarios and acting out roles.
Consult with the best pediatric doctor in Dubai if you believe your child has not met these milestones.


What causes speech delay?

Oral-motor issues: Speech delays are frequently caused by issues in the parts of the child’s brain that govern the muscles involved in speech. As a result, toddlers may struggle to generate sounds because their lip, tongue, and jaw movement are not coordinated. Toddlers cannot move the muscles required for speech when the brain does not connect with the facial muscles, a disorder known as apraxia. Dysarthria is another oral-motor condition that arises when the muscles that govern the face, tongue, and lips are too weak to function properly.

Hearing loss: A child who can't hear properly or hears distorted speech is likely to struggle with word formation. Though hearing loss may frequently be disregarded, it is also clearly detectable. One symptom of hearing loss is if your child does not recognise a person or thing when you name them but does when you use gestures. Hearing loss symptoms, on the other hand, can be mild. Delayed speech may be the only visible symptom in some cases.

Autism: Children with autism usually have speech impairments. Since children with autism have trouble speaking nonverbally, they may not be able to convey their wants by the age of 12 months.

Intellectual disability: Children with intellectual disabilities frequently have broad developmental delays that influence their learning, physical, emotional, and social development. These children may struggle to produce or pronounce words that others can easily understand. They may also have difficulty putting phrases together or understanding language.


Language deprivation: Children learn to speak from others around them. As a result, if youngsters are not actively engaged with language, it is difficult for them to spontaneously pick up speech or words. A child's growth can be hampered by a lack of vocal stimulation.

Tongue tie : Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) occurs when the short, thick, or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) connects the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth, potentially interfering with breast-feeding. Tongue-tie can have an impact on how a child eats, speaks, and swallows as it limits the range of motion of the tongue.


Neurological conditions: Muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and brain injury from trauma, might damage the muscles required for speaking.

The most important thing to know about a speech-language delay is that early detection and therapy can make a significant difference. myPediaclinic, pediatric clinic in Dubai can help detect and diagnose hearing difficulties that can lead to speech delay.


Signs your child has speech delay

They prefer gestures over vocalisations
If your child isn't using gestures to communicate by the age of 12 months, this could indicate a speech delay.

They have difficulty imitating sounds
Children aged 18 months and up should be able to mimic the sounds they hear around them. They should be able to utter words rather than just imitate sounds by the age of two. If they’re not copying you or saying "mama" and "dada", and using those simple words and others similar to them by 18 months, they may have delayed speech.

They are unable to pay attention
If your child is not paying attention to others and does not respond to sounds, music, games, or moving toys, this could be a symptom of a possible speech delay. Another reason to see a best pediatric doctor in Dubai is if they are having difficulty recalling words they have already learned.

At the age of two, they are not employing at least 25 words
When a youngster is two or three years old, their vocabulary should have grown to the point where they can no longer keep track of it. If your kid isn’t utilising at least 25 words by the age of two, it could be a symptom of a speech delay.


Tips to help your child develop speech
Begin chatting with your child as soon as they are born. Hearing speech benefits even babies. That is why parents must communicate with their children as often as possible.
Many babies pronounce their first words—"mama," "dada," or "papa"—around the age of 12 months. Don't be concerned if your baby isn't yet talking. Some children take longer than others to master speech.
Reading books and simply talking to your infant about what you are doing in daily life will help them expand their vocabulary. Your communication shouldn't be too simple or too complex. Simply point out the beautiful plants or the large dog you observe on your walk.
Taking turns during playtime helps babies learn to communicate. This can be accomplished through activities such as rolling a ball back and forth, sharing meals, or even flipping the pages of a book together.
Playing games might help your child acquire speech skills.
You can also help your youngster by being descriptive when speaking to them. Rather than asking, "Where's your toy?" ask, "Where's your big blue car toy?"
Read aloud from books. If your child loses interest, simply chat about the colourful images.
When your youngster is speaking to you, give them your undivided attention. Allow them to respond before filling in the blanks when you ask them a question.
Ask your child several questions and encourage them to answer
Don't point out or correct grammatical errors. Instead, simply demonstrate proper language by expressing words appropriately.
Sing to your child and play music for them. Learning new songs or nursery rhymes helps your child learn new words while also improving memory, listening abilities, and word expression.
Describe what your child is doing, feeling, and hearing during the day. For instance, "Are you hungry", “Do you want milk?”’


Consult with a kids specialist in Dubai if you think your child has a speech delay. Pediatricians know typical developmental milestones and can check whether your child's speech delay is within a normal range or needs further assessment. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes, as it helps to identify the cause on time and treat them with proper speech therapy or other treatments. Pediatricians can also provide guidance, refer your child to speech specialists and ensure that your child has all the support needed for their speech and language development.

myPediaclinic - the best pediatric clinic in Dubai
Our experienced award-winning Pediatricians at myPediaclinic in Dubai Healthcare City help young children have a stress-free and relaxing visit. As one of the most trusted and kid-friendly clinics in the country, the doctors and staff at myPediaclinic are focused on delivering quality treatment and consultation for the long-term health and well-being of their patients.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment