Articulation Disorders simply means voice disorder. According to a statistical fact, only 10% of new borns have proper speaking abilities for the future. The rest of them are prone to this disorder. The symptoms of this disorder are:
- Lack of Babbling: A baby usually starts babbling by 5 months after birth. But if the child does not start babbling using consonents like ba, ma, da etc. by 6 to 7 months, it might be a symptom that he is suffering from Articulation Disorder.
- More use of vowels: If a child is using more of vowel (a,e,i,o,u) sounds and gestures even after the age of 18 months, he may be a victim of this disorder. Such a child needs proper attention and must be stressed upon to learn new words.
- Unclear Speech: A normal child starts speaking basic things by the age of three. But it may be a sign of Articulation disorder if he/she does not use the words correctly even after that age. The child’s voice should be clear and should be understood by everyone.
- Omission of Consonants: Consonant sounds are usually spoken by children by the age of 6 months. But it is a serious issue if the child does not use them till he/she is 3 years of age. Parents should monitor the child’s omission of consonants while speaking. A doctor or a speech pathologist should be consulted in this case.
- Sound Issues at 6: The child suffers from a serious Articulation Disorder when he has sound problems even at the age of six. Normally the child learns to speak all the vowels and consonants by the age of six. Special therapy is to be given to such a child.
If a child does not have a proper voice, he/she might be embarassed or be depressed at a later age too. His/her age might increase but he/she still might be unpleased with his/her voice. These are the consequences of Articulation Disorder in future.
