All children simplify their speech as they are growing up and learning new words. For example, saying 'pasgetti' for 'spaghetti' or 'wing' instead of 'ring'. There are certain ages that we start to see these errors disappear, and a child's speech will become more clear. A speech pathologist is able to assess your child, and tell you if the error patterns they are using are typical for their age, or if some therapy may be required to help them use the correct sounds when speaking. A child's speech difficulties can be "articulation" based, where it is a difficulty using their mouth in the right way, or "phonological" based, where there is a pattern of errors. 

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Chelsea has a passion for supporting children with speech sound errors, and helping children progress as quickly as possible by choosing the right therapy approach. 

Language means understanding words that are said, and using words to express ourselves.

 

Late Talkers/ Language Delay 

Some children are "late talkers". Some late talkers will seem to catch up without therapy, however we don't have a way of telling which children will catch up, and which children need some support with speech therapy. Even if late talkers seem to catch up, there is evidence to suggest that a number of these children will have ongoing difficulties with vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and reading and writing at school. Therefore, it's best to come in and investigate why your child may be a late talker, and learn strategies that you can use at home to boost their language skills. 
 

Language Disorder associated with ... 

If your child has difficulties with language and they have a diagnosed condition, or you suspect a diagnosis, they may have a language disorder associated with that condition. For example, language disorder associated with Autism, or language disorder associated with Intellectual Disability. 

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Developmental Language Disorder 

A developmental language disorder (DLD) is a term given to children who have ongoing difficulties with language past the age of 5, with no known co-occurring diagnosis like Autism. DLD is a lifelong condition. Children with DLD will likely need support to understand and use language at school, and in the community. 

Some children, for various reasons, are not able to use their "mouth words' for communication. These children may learn to communicate via an alternative and augmentative communication system (AAC). This can look like pointing to printed paper-based visuals, a whole printed book of words, communication apps on a speech generating device (such as LAMP Words for Life, TouchChat, or ProLoQuo/2Go), or key word signing, as examples. It often looks like a mix of all of these systems, to give the child many opportunities to communicate what they'd like to say. 

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At Talking Tots, we can support you and your child on their AAC journey; from assessment where we match the features of AAC to your child's individual needs and preferences, speech generating device trials, capacity building your child's family, education, and therapy teams on how to use the device, and supporting your child in learning how to communicate using the device.  

Talking Tots Speech Pathology have a neurodiverse affirming approach at the core of our practice. This means that we will affirm and encourage the beautiful and wide range of diversity in the children that we support. Children are individual humans, with their own preferences and ways of being. We know that "masking" who you are to fit in with everyone else can cause poor self-esteem and long-term mental health issues. ​When a child's needs and preferences are not investigated and met, this can lead to a child communicating through behaviour. All behaviour is communication, and we will do our best to look at what the child is 'communicating' in those moments, so that we can meet their needs better next time. 

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We can support a child to develop and communicate their sense of self, and advocate for themselves, in the following ways. ​

- Creating an "About Me" book that helps your child develop the initial skills of self-advocacy. "About Me" books helps children and their families to recognise, acknowledge, and communicate things that matter to them, things that help them, and things they don't like. 

- Advocating for your child at daycare and school, with friends and teachers. This might look like helping teachers to choose more inclusive games, or helping friends to understand the way that your child plays. 

- Writing individual social stories. Social stories can help alleviate anxiety for upcoming changes or transitions, in the short or long term (e.g. finishing a game and packing up toys, or planning for Kindergarten transition). They help to prepare a child for the feelings they may have, and put a plan in place in advance for when the child has those feelings. ​

- Setting up the environment for success. This means that the child's individual preferences are investigated and communicated clearly with the child's whole team. This can include preferences for sensory input, visual schedules, forewarnings in countdowns/timers, visual communication systems, a child's choice and control, etc. 

Up to 10% of children will stutter at some stage, usually starting around 3 years of age. It is not possible to tell which children will grow out of their stuttering, and which children require support. However, it is known that less than 10% of children who develop a stutter will grow out of it, so it is recommended that children attend therapy as early as possible to participate in stuttering reduction programs. The best time to treat childhood stuttering is 3 - 5 years of age, prior to commencing Kindergarten. However, the Lidcombe Program has been shown to be effective up to 12 years of age. 

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We are able to support preschoolers reduce their stuttering using the Lidcombe Program. This is a highly evidence-based, parent-led program. See more information here: 

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