The parents of a boy who has struggled with his language during the pandemic have urged others to seek help if they are worried about their children.
A Powys couple said they were concerned when their three-year-old son became frustrated when he struggled to speak.
An expert said BBC Wales remittances had increased post-Covid.
The Welsh Government has launched a program to help children whose speaking and language skills have been affected by the lockdowns.
Coronavirus restrictions disrupted schools, kindergartens and childcare facilities, meaning children weren’t spending as much time in each other’s company, potentially affecting their communication skills.
- How exercise helped me to live with my stuttering
- Poorer students in Wales two years behind classmates
Louise and Andy Davies from Brecon sought help when their three-year-old son Ethan was frustrated because he couldn’t say what he wanted to say.
Ms Davies said: “There’s that initial concern and if people are scared I would perhaps always say go and seek help and talk to your health visitor.
“If you actually talk to other patients, you’ll find that it’s actually more common than people talk about it.”
She added: “I think there’s a certain stigma about feeling like it’s bad parenting, or admitting your child isn’t doing as well as others is seen as a negative thing.
“But I would urge all parents to ask if everything is okay and get that reassurance.”
The Davies family was put in touch with a speech and language therapist through their health care advisor and received tips to help Ethan.
Mr Davies, who stuttered at a young age, said the tips included offering Ethan options rather than asking direct questions, which embarrassed him.
“You could tell he wasn’t himself,” he said of Ethan.
“Now he’s back in kindergarten, he’s a lot more relaxed and calm, he’s more the boy he was before the pandemic.”
Louise and Andy said the guide helped improve Ethan’s speech.
- Talk face to face
- Use a song or rhyme
- Talk and play every day
- Read together
Source: Welsh Government
According to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the pandemic has created additional problems for children who were already being supported with their language skills.
Pippa Cotterill, Head of the Royal College Wales Office, said: “Our members across the UK say there is an increase in referrals for children who need speech and language therapy.
“And some kids who have had speech and language difficulties can sometimes be a little more complicated now than they used to be.”
In March, a report found the initial lockdown was “devastating” for some children in need of speech therapy in North Wales.
Progress made by some children with their speech has been lost, according to research by the North Wales Community Health Council.
Betsi Cadwaladr’s health board, who runs the NHS in North Wales, apologized for the disruption, which was partly due to staff being told to support essential services.
The Welsh Government has launched the Talk With Me campaign, which offers parents and carers language and language advice before children return to kindergarten or school in September.
Add Comment