Every child develops at their own pace. This is particularly true when it comes to speech and language milestones. However, parents often worry when their child's speech seems to deviate from typical patterns. In this article, we will explore common parental concerns about speech development, with insights from Toukir Rahman Dhruvo, a seasoned Audiologist and Speech Language Pathologist from Shono Bangladesh.

 "Many parents complain that their child has hearing impairment or speech difficulties. However, upon examination, it is often found that the child is only 13 or 14 months old. Parents need to understand that they are too young to start speaking clearly. So, there is not much to be concerned about," explained Rahman.

He added, "There are different stages of speech development for a child. For girls, the process starts early. They start babbling around the age of 4-5 months and start communicating with single words after the age of one. Boys, on the other hand, start babbling around 6-7 months and start speaking in one or two words around the age of two."

Some children tend to struggle in speaking. To help a child speak clearly, interacting with the child and trying to teach words by repeating them can be helpful.

Rahman advised that parents should, at times, simply wait it out and give their child some time as they may just be late bloomers. However, if the child crosses the age of two years and remains at the babbling stage, parents should consult with a speech language pathologist for a better understanding of their child's situation.

In today's world, where nuclear families are the norm, many parents have concerns regarding the speech development of their children, as the young ones lack interaction with different people.

"In this case, the parents must ensure that they spend quality time with their child despite having a busy schedule. A parent should spend a minimum of one hour of verbal interaction with their child every day, whether it is reading to them or just attempting to have a conversation," said Rahman

While speaking and hearing for a child is very important and can be a matter of concern, we must understand that each child is different and their growth and progress may vary. It is best not to compare one child to another and panic when we see that they are progressing differently.