Difference Between Autism and Speech Delay

Autism and speech delay are two distinct developmental disorders that can affect children from a very young age. Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social communication and behavior, while speech delay is a delay in the development of speech and language skills. While there may be some overlap in symptoms between the two, there are also significant differences between autism and speech delay.

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by −

• Problems with communication;

• Problems with social interaction;

• Repetitive behavior;

• Behavioral restrictions

Children with autism have a violation of the social interactions. They are not able to manage their social contacts through a verbal or a non-verbal behavior.

Children with autism are not able to establish relationships and show a lack of interest in peers and friendship. They may feel scared, be overwhelmed, or cry in situations typically enjoyed by children, like visiting a play area with other kids.

Children with autism do not socially or emotionally attach to others. They do not share interests or feelings with other people. Most children may hesitate to interact with strangers, but after a short time develop a relationship and interact better. On the other hand children with autism struggle with relating even to familiar people.

Children with autism have equal difficulties in producing and understanding speech. Speech is absent or incomprehensible to others. The lack of speech is not compensated through mimic or gestures. They use stereotypical, repetitive, peculiar expressions, neologism, echolalia, and often speak their thoughts aloud.

Sign of autism are recurring, stereotypical, unusual actions or narrowly restricted special interests (rituals, fixed observation of moving objects, etc.), stereotypical and repetitive movements (rotation of the fingers in front of the eyes, swinging on a chair, etc.). Children with autism may also have an unusual interest in aspects of the senses (fixation to a specific smell, taste or touches).

Children with autism may have sleep problems and may need much less sleep than the other kids at the same age. They are more likely to develop neurological problems such as seizures, heightened sensitivity to light, touch or sound. Children with autism often experience gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea and constipation.

What is Speech Delay?

Speech delay is a delay in the use or the development of the mechanisms, producing speech. The children with speech delay have difficulties producing speech, but their abilities to understand are similar to those of the other kids at their age. Children with speech delay are able to communicate through non-verbal behavior (social smile, mimic, visual contact). They are able to establish relationships and show interest in peers and friendship. Speech delay does not correlate with sleep problems, neurological problems, stereotypical, repetitive, peculiar expressions and behavior, gastrointestinal problems, or longer toe-walking.

Every child develops individually and not all children start speaking at the same age. However, in speech therapy, there are certain milestones for the development of the speech apparatus −

• The first 6 months – babies start using their voices to relate to the surrounding world by cooing, babbling, etc.

• From 6 to 12 months – the passive phase is predominant, babies begin to string sounds together, make attempts to imitate animals, say words like “mama” and “dada”, use different tones of speech.

• From 12 to 18 months – there is a wide range of speech sounds in the child’s babbling (like b, m, p, d, n). At this age, the children imitate sounds and words, learn few more words and are able to follow simple one-step directions.

• From 12 to 18 months – at this age, children use about 20 words.

• From 18 to 24 months – the actively used words are 50 or more, children are able to combine two–three words in simple sentences.

• From 2 to 3 years – The child’s vocabulary increases, she/he combines more than three words into sentences, uses plural and pronouns, attempts to distinguish tenses (present, past).

Some children start talking later than the others and/or are lagging behind their peers in speech development. The reasons for speech delay in otherwise normally developing child can be the following −

• Hereditary factors

• The nerve system of the child may be overloaded with different stimuli. This may lead to the prioritization of the stimuli, resulting in speech delay.

• Lacking or underdeveloped phonematic hearing

• Maxillofacial trauma – if some of the speech organs are more cumbersome (lazy, difficult to move) or underdeveloped, it is also a prerequisite for speech delay

• Abnormal position of the teeth

Recognizing and treating speech delays early is of crucial importance. In most cases, with a proper therapy and time, a child with speech delay will improve her/his ability to communicate.

Differences Autism and Speech Delay

One of the key differences between autism and speech delay is that autism is a broader disorder that affects not only speech and language development but also social communication and behavior. Children with autism may have difficulty with nonverbal communication, such as making eye contact, using gestures, and understanding facial expressions. They may also have difficulty with social interactions, such as taking turns, sharing, and making friends. Children with autism may also engage in repetitive behaviors, such as hand flapping or lining up toys, and may have sensory sensitivities, such as being bothered by certain sounds or textures.

In contrast, speech delay primarily affects a child's ability to communicate verbally. Children with speech delay may have difficulty with language comprehension, vocabulary development, and sentence structure. They may struggle to form words correctly, and their speech may be difficult to understand. Speech delay can also lead to frustration, as children may have difficulty expressing themselves and understanding what others are saying.

Another difference between autism and speech delay is that autism is typically diagnosed based on a set of behavioral criteria, while speech delay is diagnosed based on developmental milestones and standardized assessments. In order to receive a diagnosis of autism, a child must display a certain number of symptoms in the areas of social communication and behavior, as well as exhibit these symptoms consistently across different settings. Speech delay, on the other hand, is typically diagnosed based on a child's ability to reach certain language milestones, such as saying their first words by 12 months, using two-word phrases by 24 months, and speaking in sentences by 36 months.

Treatment for autism and speech delay also differs. While speech therapy may be a component of treatment for both disorders, children with autism may also benefit from other types of therapy, such as behavioral therapy or occupational therapy, to address their social communication and behavior difficulties. In some cases, medication may also be used to manage symptoms of autism, such as hyperactivity or anxiety. Treatment for speech delay typically involves intensive speech therapy to help the child develop their speech and language skills.

The following table highlights the major differences between Autism and Speech Delay −

Characteristics	Autism	Speech Delay
Definition	Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by troubles with communication and social interaction, repetitive behavior, and behavioral restrictions.	Speech delay is a delay in the use or the development of the mechanisms, producing speech.
Social Interactions	Children with autism have a violation of the social interactions. They are not able to manage their social contacts through a verbal or a non-verbal (social smile, mimic, visual contact) behavior	Children with speech delay are able to communicate through non-verbal behavior. They are able to establish relationships and show interest in peers and friendship.
Speech Difficulties	Children with autism have equal difficulties in producing and understanding speech.	Children with speech delay have difficulties in producing speech, but are able to understand it.
Speech Compensation	The lack of speech is not compensated through mimic or gestures	Children with speech delay compensate lack of speech through non-verbal behavior.
Atypical Behavior	Recurring, stereotypical, unusual actions or narrowly restricted special interests, stereotypical and repetitive movements, unusual interest in aspects of the senses.	Children with speech delay do not show other atypical behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while autism and speech delay may have some overlapping symptoms, they are two distinct developmental disorders that require different approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Autism affects social communication and behavior, as well as speech and language development, while speech delay primarily affects a child's ability to communicate verbally.

Understanding the differences between these two disorders is important for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to provide appropriate support and treatment to children who may be affected by these conditions.