Language Delay in Children

Concerns about language development are among the most common complaints that parents seek medical advice regarding their children’s development. Developmental language disorder refers to a delay in children’s receptive or expressive language development without an underlying medical condition. Risk factors such as prematurity, low socioeconomic status, screen exposure, maternal depression and family history can affect language development in children. In a child presenting with a complaint of delay in language development, a detailed anamnesis should be taken, including developmental history, home environment, family history and psychosocial risk factors. The evaluation of a child should include not only language development but also all areas of development (language, cognitive, motor, relationship, social-emotional) using a standatdized developmental assessment tool. A detailed physical examination should be performed to check for accompanying genetic, neurological and other medical conditions (e.g. cleft palate). Regardless of the result of newborn hearing screening, all children should undergo hearing tests, and if necessary, hemogram and iron parameters should be evaluated. If there is a history of regression, delay in the relationship area, or signs of accompanying neurudevelopmental problems, further evaluation should be performed. It should not be fogotten that a delay in language development may be the initial sign of problems such as cognitive delay, autism spectrum disoeder, hearing loss, and speech pronounciation disorder. Early intervention shoul be planned for children with delayed language development and should not be waited for. Monitoring and supporting each child’s development with family-centered methods is the most effective method for the prevention, early diagnosis, and early intervention of all developmental difficulties, including delay in language development.