Dear Doctor,

I am Geofrey aged 26, I have a two-and-a half-year-old daughter who has failed to learn to talk yet I see children of my neighbours learning to talk before they even make 2 years. I am worried and some times think my child is dumb, What should I do?

Dear Geofrey;

The child is very young for you to consider her as dumb. If the child has achieved other mile stones normally like walking, dentition, e.t.c.. at expected times, she is normal physically.

If a child is  growing normally,  eating normally, is not sick all time, understanding well, responding to sounds and calls, is able to speak few words or sounds but not entire sentences, it could be just a delay in speaking to pick up.

It is said some children speak late, some walk late. At times  a child has hearing disability  due to  which the speech is also delayed. As the child is unable to hear sounds, he/she is unable to produce them.  

This could be due to chronic middle ear infections.  Some  times the tongue may be bound posteriorly by fibrous tissue, hence impairing speech because it is not able to move freely, a condition known as tongue tie.

This can be corrected by a minor cut. You can get her examined by an E.N.T. surgeon to exclude any physical cause for delayed speech. Coax her lovingly to speak starting with simple words. Let it be a game and slowly increase the words in number culminating in full sentences. If needed, help of professional speech therapist can be sought.