Late-talking children grow up to be fine, says study
(CBS) Parents often fear the worst if their child doesn't start speaking by age two. But the results from a new study should ease their worries, according to its author.
"Parents should not be overly concerned that late-talking at age two years will result in enduring language and psychological difficulties for the child," Dr. Andrew Whitehouse, an associate professor and of developmental psychopathology at the University of Western Australia in Subiaco, told HealthDay.
About 18 percent of children have an expressive language delay, according to the study published in the July 4th issue of Pediatrics. Previous research suggests that these children may experience psychological or behavior problems during this time - but the authors wanted to see if these issues persist through adulthood.
The study looked at survey results filled out by parents on more than 1,400 two-year olds, born between 1989 and 1991. The researchers found that one of 10 kids was a late talker - and these kids tended to act more introverted and displayed more emotional problems.
"It's no surprise that late talkers at age two may seem to have more behavioral difficulties," Melissa Wexler Gurfein, a speech-language pathologist in New York City who was not involved with the study, told WebMD. "The frustration of not being able to communicate successfully could be a possible cause of disruptive behavior."
But what happens once they grow up?
The researchers followed up with these kids at ages five, eight, 10, 14 and 17, and found that the late bloomers eventually grew out of their silence - and in turn grew out of their behavioral troubles. The late-talking children didn't show any significant differences in developmental or intellectual delays come their first follow-up at age five, and that effect continued through 17.
"When the late-talking children catch up to normal language milestones, which the majority of children do, the behavioral and emotional problems are no longer apparent," Whitehouse told the New York Times.
What should parents do if their child isn't on course to reach language milestones?
"The best thing that parents can do is provide a rich language-learning environment for their children," Whitehouse told HealthDay. "This means getting down on the floor and playing with their child, talking with them, reading to them, interacting with them at their level."
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has more on language development.