Speech delays in children are on the rise and up to 12% of children (1) have some form of speech delays that may indicate developmental delays, especially brain development.
Speech delays in children are not just a challenge; they’re a puzzle waiting to be solved. Parents and caregivers often find themselves on a quest for answers, seeking to understand what factors contribute to these delays and how best to help their children. Delving into the intricate connection between the nervous system and speech development unveils a world of possibilities, where chiropractic care emerges as a powerful ally in the journey towards clearer communication.
Symptoms of a Speech Or Language Delay
- Say simple words (such as “mama” or “dada”) either clearly or unclearly by 12 to 15 months of age
- Understand simple words (such as “no” or “stop”) by 18 months of age
- Talk in short sentences by 3 years of age
- Tell a simple story at 4 to 5 years of age
Exploring the Roots of Speech Delays:
Speech delays can sprout from a multitude of origins, spanning from genetic predispositions to environmental triggers. Premature birth, genetic syndromes, hearing impairments, and early childhood trauma all cast shadows on the path to fluent speech. These influences can shape neural pathways, affecting how children process and express language.
The most common one that we often see as the root cause is developmental delays due to autonomic nervous system “stuck” in stress.
The Nervous System’s Dance with Speech:
At the heart of speech lies the intricate choreography of the nervous system. This complex orchestra includes the brain, spinal cord, and a symphony of nerves conducting signals throughout the body. When disruptions occur in this symphony, such as misalignments known as subluxations, the melody of speech can falter. Difficulties in articulation, language processing, and expressive communication may then take center stage.
Chiropractic Care: Fine-Tuning the Neural Symphony:
Chiropractic care emerges as a conductor fine-tuning the neural symphony within children’s bodies. By addressing subluxations and optimizing nerve flow, chiropractors aim to harmonize the nervous system, restoring its ability to conduct signals seamlessly. This holistic approach doesn’t just target the symptoms but nurtures the underlying foundations of speech and language development.
Harvesting Benefits: A Garden of Speech Flourishes:
Through chiropractic care, children with speech delays reap a garden of benefits:
- Clearer Signal Pathways: Chiropractic adjustments pave the way for optimal nerve communication, fostering brain function essential for speech clarity and coordination.
- Steadier Posture, Stronger Voices: Aligning the spine improves posture and muscle tone, supporting proper breathing and vocalization crucial for articulate speech.
- Relaxed Rhythms: By reducing stress and tension, chiropractic care creates a calm environment conducive to fluent speech and expression.
- Holistic Harmony: Chiropractic care embraces a holistic perspective, addressing sensory challenges and motor coordination issues that may underlie speech delays.
Stories of Triumph:
Countless tales echo the transformative power of chiropractic care on speech. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, a child’s journey from struggling with sounds to speaking sentences like “I love you, mom” illustrates the profound impact of this holistic approach. Integrating primitive reflexes, expanding vocabularies, and enhancing motor control showcase the potential for growth under chiropractic care’s nurturing guidance.
A few stories of our own is a 3 year old child comes into the office who is still not verbal. Family has been taking their daughter to a speech pathologist for over 6-8 months with very slow progress.
Within 3-4 weeks of Chiropractic care, not only did they notice improvements in the motor delays she was experiencing, but she started to babble, say vowels, and making more and more attempt with words.
Through specific Chiropractic care, it allows for optimize brain development which allows for a kiddo to hit their specific milestones, not just in motor and developmental, but also speech.
To learn more or to find out how Chiropractic can help your little one, book an appointment with us today!
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10775292/