“Doctors said Mikhael showed very mild signs of autism but he was not diagnosed as autistic,” Faridah told FMT, adding they would later discover he was experiencing speech delays.
Affecting up to 9% of children, speech delay is a condition in which a child experiences difficulty speaking and understanding words and sentences.
In July, aged four, Mikhael was sent for an early intervention programme and has since shown vast improvements.
“Before this, he was not motivated to talk. Sometimes, he would just give one-word answers when needed. But now, he can say things like ‘no, this is not correct,’ and he is not afraid of crowds anymore,” Faridah said.
Lack of awareness
Speech therapist Choong Xiao Ping believes there is insufficient awareness about the condition and options for treatment and support, especially in rural areas.
She said parents play an important role in recognising speech delays at an early age.
“By the age of three, children typically have a vocabulary of (between) 100 or 200 and 1,000 words, and are able to use simple, short sentences to express themselves,” said Choong who is attached to Kidsogenius, a company that provides speech therapy.
Signs of speech delay include limited vocabulary, difficulty in understanding instructions, and a lack of interaction, among others.
Choong said parents and caregivers could take proactive steps to support a child’s speech and language development, including interacting with their children, limiting screen time and facilitating language-based activities.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib said middle and low-income parents would struggle to access assistance and resources for children with speech delays.
“There must be a clear commitment from the government in the form of budgets and building capacity in meeting this unmet need,” he said.
Azrul also said the country presently has no clear picture of the needs of children with speech delays, adding that there are gaps in the services available to deal with the condition.
“Relevant ministries such as the women, family and community development ministry, in collaboration with local research universities, should conduct more studies and awareness activities like public communication campaigns and sensitising teachers and parents.”