What
is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
Speech-Language Pathologists
diagnose and provide treatment for children and adults with a variety of
speech-language, cognitive, voice, feeding-swallowing problems and tongue
thrust – oromyofunctional disorders.
What kinds of speech and language disorders affect children?
Speech and language disorders can affect the
way children talk, understand, analyze or process information. Speech disorders
include the clarity, voice quality, and fluency of a child's spoken words.
Language disorders include a child's ability to hold meaningful conversations,
understand others, problem solve, read and comprehend, and express thoughts
through spoken or written words.
At what age should I seek out help for my child?
We work with children from infancy to adolescence. If you are
concerned about your child's communication skills, please call to find out
if your child should be seen for a communication evaluation and/or consultation.
The early months of your baby's life are of great importance for good social
skills, emotional growth, and intelligence.
Is my child developing speech
and language at a normal rate?
There are differences in the age at which
an individual child understands or uses specific language skills. The following
list provides information about general speech and language development.
If your child is not doing 1 or 2 of the skills in a particular age range,
your child may have delayed hearing, speech, and language development. If
your child is not doing 3 or more of the skills listed in a particular age
range, please take action and contact a Speech-Language Pathologist and/or
Audiologist to find out if an evaluation or consultation is necessary. Compiled
from www.asha.org, "How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?"
Birth - 3 Months
- Startles to loud sounds
- Quiets or smiles when spoken to
- Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying
- Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound
- Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)
- Cries differently for different needs
- Smiles when sees you
4 - 6 Months
- Moves eyes in direction of sounds
- Responds to changes in tone of your voice
- Notices toys that make sounds
- Pays attention to music
- Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including, p, b, and m
- Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
- Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you 7 Months - 12 Months
- Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
- Turns and looks in direction of sounds
- Listens when spoken to
- Recognizes words for common items like "cup", "shoe," "juice"
- Begins to responds to requests ("Come here," "Want more?")
- Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as "tataupup bibibibibi"
- Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
- Imitates different speech sounds
- Has 1 or 2 words 12 Months
- Responds to their name
- Understands simple directions with gestures
- Uses a variety of sounds
- Plays social games like peek a boo 15 Months
- Uses a variety of sounds and gestures to communicate
- Uses some simple words to communicate
- Plays with different toys
- Understands simple directions 18 Months
- Understands several body parts
- Attempts to imitate words you say
- Uses at least 10 - 20 words
- Uses pretend play 24 Months
- Uses at least 50 words
- Recognizes pictures in books and listens to simple stories
- Begins to combine two words
- Uses many different sounds at the beginning of words.
2 to 3 Years
- Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time
- Understands differences in meaning (go-stop, in-on, big-little, up-down)
- Follows two requests ("Get the book and put it on the table")
- Combines three or more words into sentences
- Understands simple questions
- Recognizes at least two colors
- Understands descriptive concepts 3 to 4 Years
- Uses sentences with 4 or more words
- Talks about activities at school or at friends' homes
- People outside family usually understand child's speech
- Identifies colors
- Compares objects
- Answers questions logically
- Tells how objects are used /li>
4 to 5 Years
- Answers simple questions about a story
- Voice sounds clear
- Tells stories that stay on topic
- Communicates with other children and adults
- Says most sounds correctly
- Can define some words
- Uses prepositions
- Answers why questions
- Understands more complex directions
Retrieved December 14, 2005
What
are the warning signs of a communication disorder in my young child?
Here are some of
the common warning signs by age range.
Birth to Six Months
- Developmental or medical problems
- Lack of response to sound
- Lack of interest in speech
- Limited eye contact
- Feeding problems
- Very limited vocalizations
- Difficulties with attachment
- Lack of interest in socializing
Six to Twelve Months
- Limited sound production, lack of variety or amount
- Groping movements when attempting to make or imitate sounds
- Oral-motor problems such as excessive drooling, trouble with solid foods, intolerance to touch in and around the mouth
- Lack of interest in sounds-making toys, radios, T.V., music, voices
- Developmental or medical problems
- Lack of response to sound
- Lack of interest in speech
- Limited eye contact
- Feeding problems
- Very limited vocalizations
- Difficulties with attachment
- Lack of interest in socializing
Twelve to Eighteen Months
- Easily distractible
- Does not understand any words or directions
- Limited sound production, lack of variety or amount
- Groping movements when attempting to make or imitate sounds
- Oral-motor problems such as excessive drooling, trouble with solid foods, intolerance to touch in and around the mouth
- Lack of interest in sounds-making toys, radios, T.V., music, voices
Eighteen to Twenty-four Months
- Not using words some of the time to communicate
- No interest in imitation
- Won't play games
- No jargon
- Grunting and pointing as primary means of communication
- Easily distractible
- Does not understand any words or directions
- Limited sound production, lack of variety or amount
- Groping movements when attempting to make or imitate sounds
- Oral-motor problems such as excessive drooling, trouble with solid foods, intolerance to touch in and around the mouth
- Lack of interest in sounds-making toys, radios, T.V., music, voices
Two to Three Year Olds
- Not combining words
- Must be told and retold to carry out simple directions (not just non-compliance)
- Using only nouns
- Poor eye contact
- No rapid increase in number of words understood and used
- Does not tolerate sitting for listening activity/looking at books, etc.
Three to Four Year Olds
- Not speaking in full sentences (not necessarily correct grammar, but nice variety of word types)
- Not using "I" to refer to self
- Cannot relate experiences, even in simple telegraph sentences