Objective: To chronical the improvements in a non-verbal 2-year-old male presenting without the age appropriate receptive language. At the time he presented, he was unable to pronounce simple vowel sounds.
Methods: Online review of the literature on motor development delay, speech delay and chiropractic were performed using the index to chiropractic literature, PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms “motor developmental delay”, “speech delay”, “child apraxia”, “speech delay and chiropractic”, “speech and language delay” and “spinal manipulation” were used.
Clinical Features: A 2-year-old male with apparent motor speech delay reported to the office for chiropractic care. This child was almost completely non-verbal and unable and or unwilling to articulate simple vowel sounds, simple words or word sounds. His expressive vocabulary consisted of 5-8 words that were poorly pronounced. His main form of communication was crying or using bodily gestures. The child had seen no other professional for this complaint nor had he received any treatment by another professional for this complaint.
Intervention and outcome: The child received cervical and cranial chiropractic care for 7 visits over 8 weeks using digital vibration with hands (Gonstead technique) and Sigma-Instrument (instrument assisted) technique to correct cervical vertebral and atlantooccipital segmental dysfunction. Throughout chiropractic care, the child showed steady progress in articulating vowel sounds, word sounds and simple words including pronunciation attempts upon reading words. Parents also report, subjectively, that child has become more “affectionate” and “loving”.
Conclusion: An early intervening course of chiropractic care using modified Gonstead Technique and Sigma Instrument assisted adjusting technique for the correction of cervical vertebral and atlanto-occipital bone subluxation were associated with improvement in the child’s presenting motor developmental speech delay. Keywords: motor developmental delay, speech delay, child apraxia, speech delay and chiropractic, speech and language delay
Author keywords: motor developmental delay, speech delay, child apraxia, speech delay and chiropractic, speech and language delay
Author affiliation: Private Practice, O’Fallon, Missouri
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