Question
My three-and-a-half-year-old child isn’t talking much, but they can understand when spoken to. They have no hearing issues. Previous treatment and outcomes: A nearby hospital conducted a thorough examination and said there was nothing wrong, and an MRI of the head was done. Desired assistance: I want to have some tests done. Which department should I go to?
Answer
Typically, a child should be able to speak simple sentences by the age of one and a half, consisting of at least three words, and should be able to complete common greetings as suggested. If they cannot do this, it may be a language disorder. Common causes include: poor development of the language center, growth or functional disorders of the articulation organs, intellectual disability, or hearing impairment; most of these issues are related to poor brain development. It is recommended to undergo a CT scan or MRI of the brain for a detailed examination, intelligence testing, language function assessment, hearing test, and oral function assessment to clearly determine the nature and severity of the language disorder and then formulate a rehabilitation plan.