Frequently Asked Questions
Please review the frequently asked questions to Let’s Talk Therapy below. If your question is not answered, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Please review the frequently asked questions to Let’s Talk Therapy below. If your question is not answered, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We use language to share our thoughts, ideas, and feelings and to understand others. Language is made up of rules that people agree on. Rules that determine:
Speech is the spoken form of language. Children can have difficulties pronouncing their words, and that is “speech”.
Generally, children learn language by listening and practicing what they hear. That is why it is very critical to use whole sentences when talking to children with appropriate grammar. It’s not learned all at once. It is a continuum that happens over time and develops in a systematic way. Milestones determine when a child should be learning a new language rule.
Children develop/learn across a developmental schedule and are compared with other children at their chronological age to determine “norms”.
i.e. “At what age do 90% of children ___________” (use plurals, follow 2 step directions, etc.)
This determines the range of “Norms” or normal development. A screening/consultation and then an evaluation is needed to determine if a child’s speech and language skills are developing “normally”.
A speech-language pathologist, also referred to as a speech therapist, is a professional who specializes in working with individuals to improve their communication and feeding skills. The role of a speech therapist is to identify, assess, treat and prevent communication disorders in all modalities (spoken, written, pictorial and manual) both receptively and expressively. In pediatrics, a speech-language pathologist works to develop and maximize the child’s speech, language, and feeding skills in a motivating play setting with the goal of increasing their independence and ability to communicate.
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.
Our Speech-Language Pathologists 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!
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 -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:
4 – 6 Months
7 – 12 Months
12 Months
15 Months
18 Months
24 Months
2 to 3 Years
3 to 4 Years
4 to 5 Years
Here are some of the common warning signs by age range.
Birth to Six Months
Six to Twelve Months
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Eighteen to Twenty-four Months
Two to Three Year Olds
Three to Four Year Olds
Receptive language includes the skills involved in understanding language. Receptive language disorders are difficulties in the ability to attend to, process, comprehend, and/or retain spoken language.
Some early signs and symptoms of a receptive language disorder include:
Expressive language includes the skills involved in communicating one’s thoughts and feelings to others. An expressive language disorder concerns difficultly with verbal expression.
Some signs and symptoms of an expressive language disorder include:
Signs of autism may begin to be detected as early as 12 months of age. Symptoms of autism can occur in isolation or in combination with other conditions. Some early indicators of autism spectrum disorder may include:
More Obvious Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Red Flag Statements Often Heard by Caregivers
Compiled from: The National Autistic Society
Children with social pragmatic difficulties demonstrate deficits in social cognitive functioning. Diagnostic terms include: Asperger Syndrome, hyperlexia, High Functioning Autism, Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorders-Not Otherwise Specified and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities.
Persons with social-pragmatic deficits have significant difficulties in their ability to effectively communicate and problem solve. Some signs and symptoms may include:
Articulation is the production of speech sounds. An articulation disorder is when a child does not make speech sounds correctly due to incorrect placement or movement of the lips, tongue, velum, and/or pharynx. It is important to recognize that there are differences in the age at which children produce specific speech sounds in all words and phrases. Mastering specific speech sounds may take place over several years.
Phonology refers to the speech sound system of language. A phonological disorder is when a child is not using speech sound patterns appropriately. A child whose sound structures are different from the speech typical for their stage of development, or who produce unusual simplifications of sound combinations may be demonstrating a phonological disorder.
Signs of a possible articulation/phonological disorder in a preschool child may include:
Signs of an articulation/phonological disorder in a school age child may include:
When children have ear infections (otitis media), fluid can build up in their middle ear. When this occurs, it can affect how they hear sounds. The sounds that they hear may seem distorted. For instance, imagine what it would sound like to hear someone talking while your head was under water. In order to learn to speak properly, children need to be able to hear speech sounds accurately and clearly. If they experience frequent ear infections while their language is developing, they may be at risk for speech and language problems.
Bilingual children develop speech and language normally. Typically, learning two languages can take a longer time. However, bilingual children should still reach developmental milestones such as producing their first word at 12 months and using two-word phrases by two years of age. The majority of these children will go through a period where they combine words and grammar from both languages in the same sentence. Additionally, once the second language is introduced, children may go through a stage where they do not speak as much. As their language skills develop, children will begin to produce more speech and language.
Children with feeding and swallowing disorders may present with a variety of symptoms including:
Prior to the Evaluation:
Parents complete a questionnaire regarding their concerns and the child’s medical, developmental, and educational history. We may request medical information from your child’s pediatrician, and may also request information from other medical or educational professionals who have evaluated your child. You may be asked to keep a food diary for several days and bring this on the day of the evaluation.
During the Evaluation:
Your child’s medical, developmental, and feeding history is carefully reviewed. Parents are interviewed regarding their concerns and the child’s history. This information helps the Speech-Language Pathologist identify areas to evaluate more closely.
Your child will be provided with an age-appropriate snack (you may be asked to bring in favorite foods and feeding utensils from home). The Speech-Language Pathologist will assess your child’s oral structures and movements, sensory responses to food and touch, posture and positioning, oral movements during eating and drinking, swallowing and behavioral responses.
Parents are encouraged to observe during the evaluation.
Following the Evaluation:
Initial results of the evaluation and recommendations are reviewed with you (and your child if age appropriate). A written report detailing evaluation results will be mailed to your home and to your child’s physician (if requested). The report will include a detailed analysis of your child’s feeding-swallowing behaviors.
If your child has indications of a feeding-swallowing disorder, an individualized plan of care will be developed with you, your child, and the physician. The plan may include recommendations for special instrumental diagnostic tests to further evaluate your child’s feeding-swallowing. Treatment varies greatly depending on the causes and symptoms of the feeding-swallowing problem.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, do not hesitate to address your concerns with your pediatrician. Request a referral to have speech-language pathologist (SLP) evaluate your child to determine whether or not your child qualifies for services. If services are warranted, your SLP should present her findings and goals for treatment before beginning treatment.
Prior to the Evaluation:
Parents complete a questionnaire regarding their concerns and the child’s medical, developmental, and educational history.
We will request medical information from the child’s pediatrician, and may also request information from other medical or educational professionals who have evaluated the child.
During the Evaluation:
Your child’s medical, developmental, and educational history is carefully reviewed. Parents are interviewed regarding their concerns and the child’s history. This information helps the Speech-Language Pathologist identify areas to evaluate more closely.
A variety of methods, including formal and informal tests, observation, parent/caregiver interview, and play-based activities will be used to evaluate your child’s speech, language, cognition, and voice. Selection of testing methods is based on your child’s individual needs. Parents are encouraged to observe during the evaluation.
Following the Evaluation:
Initial results of the evaluation and recommendations are reviewed with you (and your child if age appropriate). A written report detailing evaluation results will be mailed to your home and to your child’s physician (if requested).
A treatment plan is an individualized plan created by the Speech-Language Pathologist to address your child’s speech, language, cognitive, and/or voice needs.
The plan may include:
Speech therapy may be covered as part of your child’s early intervention plan or as part of other education plans. You should check directly with your insurance company to determine what they will cover.
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The length of therapy depends on the severity of the problem and the rate of progress made in the therapy sessions and during reinforcement at home and in the community.
Many speech therapists have the credentials “CCC-SLP” after their names. This means that the therapist has been awarded their Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology by ASHA.