Early detection of language problems helps ensure that the child receives the required therapies

Children with early language and speech problems can be diagnosed more precisely thanks to the implementation of new screening tools by children's healthcare organizations. This finding can be illustrated by the two studies carried out by Uppsala University colleagues in collaboration with Region Gotland and engaged more than 6000 teenagers’ participation.

With regard to the issue of the role of early screening in identifying children who can benefit from speech and language therapy, the studies brought out by researcher Anna Fäldt showed that kids with disorders use fewer and less standardized words than their age groups which might affect being exposed to educational settings and learning process at school.

The Child Health and Parenting (CHAP) research group at the University of Uppsala has done two language studies together with the Region Gotland, which are about early language development and language problems. The data used in their investigation comes from all the children's medical records collected in Region Gotland for the period of 2016 to 2022; this data involves about 6,000 records. Furthermore, they demonstrate the accuracy of the rapid screening instruments in identifying the beginning communication development issues, especially in children who attend the pediatric clinic.

"We will need to digest and evaluate the most important information from this investigation to be able to figure out whether our plans should be incorporated or not," Fålt argues that if we are to assess children's language development, we must undoubtedly consider it across a longer time frame.

The research analysis which was assessed if Språkfyran introduction is effective was published in Acta Paediatrica. This year, four-year-olds will be pre-tested; nurses will do this by making you do simple tasks that involve sounds like 'Mmmmmm!' and pointing at pictures. The vocabulary plan theory was also acted upon, which caused the number of children that were sent to speech therapists to skyrocket from 0.4% to 6.9%, as indicated by the study, which used real medical records of almost 3,500 of the students. We are happy here with these outcomes being the aims of the project. Assume, Anna Levin - pediatrician and Gotland child health services coordinator.

"In this way, Špráfyran can, in its own way, detect if a child has language disturbance or if they require speech therapy which is quite helpful for pediatric health care," the spokesperson concludes.

There was an evaluation of the Infant-Toddler Checklist (ITC) used as a tool during the 18th-month visit to child health services. The results were published in the open-access journal for BMJ Paediatrics. The ITC questionnaire, parents are requested to fill out a questionnaire, which seeks to assess the child's play quality, self-expression, and communication skills level. The team found that the ITC implementation had a 93% screening rate and also higher referrals to speech and language therapy for children based on data assessed from approximately 2,600 underage individuals. Visualize the instrument as a proactive tool for the early diagnosis of language and communication disorders.

In the opinion of Anton Dahlberg among other researchers "we now have techniques of evaluating children with delayed speech and language development efficiency means for providing them with adequate assistance".

The investigation highlighted that more space for 4-year-old children had benefited from screening for speech and language therapy due to the release of a new speech and language measurement tool.