Causes

In the majority of cases there is no known cause for a speech or language difficulty.

More boys than girls experience this type of problem, and first children are less likely to have difficulties in this area.

Debate continues over the impact of both television and dummies on speech and language development, but as long as both are used sensibly, the impact of either should be small.

For some children their speech and language difficulties are clearly linked to problems with development of physical skills and/or learning disabilities. Your child could have a definite diagnosis such as cerebral palsy or Downs Syndrome, or he/she may be described as having "developmental delay". Any physical or learning problems will impact on speech and language development.