What should be done if a 10-year-old child speaks unclearly?
Dec 06, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ma Yan
Introduction
A 10-year-old child with unclear speech can be improved through methods such as adjusting speaking rate, lingual frenuloplasty, or cleft palate repair surgery. If the child speaks too quickly, it may easily be mistaken for unclear speech, which usually does not require any medical treatment. Improvement can be achieved by correcting the child's speaking rate and avoiding the use of dialects.
Speech unclearness in a 10-year-old child can be improved through methods such as adjusting speaking rate, lingual frenectomy, or cleft palate repair surgery.
1. Adjusting Speaking Rate
If a child speaks too quickly, it may easily be mistaken as unclear speech. Usually, no specific treatment is required; improvements can be made by adjusting the child's speaking pace and avoiding the use of dialects.
2. Lingual Frenectomy
If the lingual frenulum is too short, limiting the tongue's ability to lift upward, it may lead to inaccurate pronunciation and unclear articulation. Under the guidance of a qualified physician, surgical procedures such as lingual frenulum lengthening or excision can be performed to alleviate speech clarity issues.
3. Cleft Palate Repair Surgery
Congenital cleft palate is a birth defect that may result from structural abnormalities in the roof of the mouth, causing unclear speech in children. Under medical supervision, corrective surgery for cleft palate—the underlying condition—can be performed, followed by speech therapy to restore normal articulation.
It is recommended to regularly take children outdoors to enhance their social interaction and support language development.
