- Warning Issued Over Potential Speech Impairments in Barmer
It seems like you're pointing out that speech difficulties are on the rise among kids in Baden-Württemberg, as suggested by a report by the Barmer health insurance company. This study highlights that kids between six and twelve are having trouble forming words, constructing sentences, and comprehending spoken and written language. The Barmer uses data from their children's atlas to support this, revealing that youngsters often swap words, omit or change sounds, misstructure sentences, and use inappropriate language for their age. Issues such as stuttering, lisping, and mutism are also being observed.
As per the study, around 12.5% of children up to the age of fifteen were diagnosed with such speech impairments two years ago, which equated to about 203,600 children. Boys are more frequently affected, with a rate of 14.8%, contrasting with girls at 10%. Furthermore, the study found that these issues have escalated notably in the last ten years. The rate for boys has gone up by 24.4%, and for girls by 21% since 2012.
According to the Barmer, parents are the primary culprits for these speech problems. Winfried Ploetz, the Barmer's regional manager in Baden-Württemberg, believes that parents hold the key to their children's language development. He emphasizes that parents need to recognize themselves as language role models. Regular conversations and active support from parents are essential. Additionally, it's crucial for parents to maintain eye contact, adjust their speech pace, and language level according to the children's age, and minimize excessive screen time.
The Barmer recommends that children practice pronunciation at home through regular exercises. Speech therapy apps can help make these exercises enjoyable for kids, as they can complete logopedic tasks on tablets, smartphones, or computers.
For this study, the Barmer health insurance company analyzed, standardized, and extrapolated data from its members based on population statistics by gender and age groups from the Federation's Statistical Office. By early July 2022, over 88,100 children in the relevant age group were insured with the Barmer in Baden-Württemberg.
The study's findings reveal that stuttering, among other speech difficulties, is one of the issues affecting children, as indicated by the increased rate of misstructured sentences and inappropriate language use. Parents are identified as playing a significant role in mitigating these speech problems, with Winfried Ploetz suggesting that they should serve as language role models and engage in regular conversations with their children.
