Speech Delay Disorder vs Autism

While speech delays, language delays, and learning problems are frequently associated with ASD, a speech delay disorder does not necessarily indicate that a child has autism. In fact, communication impairments caused by autism differ significantly from those produced by other types of speech-language difficulties.

What constitutes a speech or language impediment?

Delays in speech and language are frequent in early childhood. If a child is not meeting adequate developmental milestones for his or her age, they may have a speech or language delay. There are differences between speech and language delays, which are commonly confused and used interchangeably.

What distinguishes speech delays from autism?

Even before a youngster speaks his or her first words, typical childhood growth follows a similar pattern. Children begin experimenting with their voices when they are toddlers, making babbling and cooing sounds. They communicate their demands and build deep social ties via various nonverbal language, such as eye contact, pointing, and gesturing. They begin to learn sounds and utilise them to develop their first words as time goes on. They eventually begin to string words together in sentences and acquire increasingly complicated verbal abilities as they correlate communication with positive outcomes (i.e. receiving what they desire).