4 year old with speech problems

[CrookedLake59]

My 4 year old granddaughter has obvious speech problems.  It is very hard to understand her.  Her speech patterns have also changed.  She used to call her mother "Mama-ee" and now she calls her "Mahee".  She cannot pronounce her own name, Meaghan.  I want my daughter to get her a hearing test and she says she does not think she has a hearing problem.  My daughter's father has a speech degree and has done speech therapy and when she asked him about a hearing test, he only said "It wouldn't hurt".  The parents have signed her up for a phonics and reading workshop type session this summer where the parents have to go and participate.  I have been pushing for them to get her hearing checked out because this will be for nothing if she can't hear.  Can a child hear certain sounds in a word and not hear other sounds in the same word?  How important is a hearing test for her?  The pediatrician said that if the parents can understand her, then she will be OK.  The father was not around during most of my granddaughter's infancy and he said he read that it is not unusual for children to have speech problems when the father is not there because the father has influence over the child's speech.  Any truth to this?

[LoriLee1962]

Speech problems is definitely a sign of a possible speech impediment. I would definitely suggest that she go to an audiologist to have her hearing checked. How do I know this? I am one of them.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

The father was not around during most of my granddaughter's infancy and he said he read that it is not unusual for children to have speech problems when the father is not there because the father has influence over the child's speech.  Any truth to this?


No not really. In many cultures the father and mother are rarely around. In the end, children develop speech natuarally, it does not matter if it is from the nanny, grand mother, friend, cousin or the TV.  They just do it....  fascinating minds.

Audiologist have the tools, equipment, training & experience to test a 4 year old or any other pre-verbal child for that matter. Their rates are usually pretty reasonable.

How do I know this.....

Oh, been doing this for a while now.

[CrookedLake59]

Thanks for your response.  When her father told me that, I wasn't sure about it and did try to find some documentation on the subject, but found nothing other than the father asks more why, when, what, where questions as the mother asks questions that only require a yes or no most of the time.  It is very frustrating for me because I have been teaching ESE students for 36 years and you would think that would mean that I know something about these things.  But the bottom line is, she isn't my child so what can I do?  I am glad you confirmed that at least I am on the right track and my thoughts are not whacky.  Thanks, again.

[Sally44]

Hi, I just found this forum looking around for information about auditory processing problems.  My son has an autistic spectrum disorder and hearing problems, although his hearing is tested as okay.  He is being referred to an audiologist for testing to see if he has Auditory Processing problems.  This is sometimes called Central Auditory Processing Disorder.  Your grandaughter is sounding similar to my son ie. not pronouncing words properly, poor auditory memory, etc.  So I thought I would throw that in the pot for you to look at.  If she does have this there is nothing wrong with her hearing ability it is a problem with how the 'sound' (all sound, not just speech) is interpretated and understood by the brain.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

CAPD testing is not very refined (in my opinion). I test positive for it, and I have a doctorate dergree.  

CAPD testing to me, is much like ghost hunting, always trying to prove that something that may or may not be there....  is really there, and if it is there.

If I remember right, google Linda Hood & CAPD, I believe she does a lot of research in that area.