Talking Too Fast
When your kiddo talks it’s just music to your ears. It’s not just the cute way she talks, but the lightness and wonder you hear in her tone. So why is it that people are starting to say she talks gibberish? What’s even more alarming is that people are saying that she’s talking too fast.
What Does Talking Too Fast Mean?
If you’ve been wondering if talking too fast and speech and language problems are related you’re not alone. The short answer is…not necessarily. Yes, talking too fast could very well be related to speech and language problems. But it’s not a forgone conclusion.
Intelligibility
First let’s talk about what intelligibility is. Intelligibility simply means being able to understand what a person is saying. How much of what your kiddo says can be understood? There’s actually a formula to figure this out. If a kiddo is 100% intelligible then everything she says can always be understood.
Intelligibility Formula
A kiddo is expected to be understood 25% of the time by age one. By age two it’s 50%, and so on and so forth. 100% intelligibility is not expected by the age of four because there are speech issues that a kiddo is probably still working on. 100% intelligibility is a more realistic goal around age seven or eight.
Milestones
The formula I just shared is one way to measure speech and language proficiency. Another way is to use milestones, certain speech achievements and language behaviors expected by a set age. For example, a kiddo by age one should be crying different cries for different needs and imitating coughs and other sounds she hears someone making. If this isn’t the case, and if particular speech sounds can’t be achieved, then this is known as an articulation disorder.
Rate Of Speech
So does rate of speech, in this case talking too fast, lead to an articulation disorder? That is not necessarily true. Sure, it may be hard for someone else to understand your kiddo if she talks fast. But if she hits her milestones and she doesn’t have problems articulating speech sounds then rate of speech is not to blame.
Talking Fast Is Okay
Your kiddo need not grow up and suffer from talking too fast. A good example of this are auctioneers who talk extremely fast but have no speech problems whatsoever. There are also talk radio hosts who give opinions and have to talk very quickly to share a lot of information.
When Fast Is Too Fast
On the other hand, your kiddo can have no articulation disorders but her speech is just too fast to follow. It’s not an articulation disorder, not really. Comparing the two would be like trying to compare apples and oranges.
Show By Speaking Slow
A good way to help get this issue under control is to model slower speech. If you talk slower she may follow your example. Now let’s say that your kiddo does have articulation disorders and she has problems making certain speech sounds. If you teach her how to talk at a slower pace then it’s possible to also teach her how to make the correct sounds. And then you won’t be the only one laughing and smiling when she says the cutest things.