Language Learning
Children begin communicating right from birth! Babies start by crying to get their needs met, and are usually soothed by familiar voices. Children begin to recognize faces, smile, and look at you in the first months of their life.
As children grow and begin to develop and learn, new skills are being added on a regular basis. While there can be a large variation in when children actually start talking, there are some guidelines offered to parents to help them follow their children's development.
Please refer to the Resources page and click on Speech, Language and Hearing Milestones for the growth chart designed for early language development.
Early Intervention
If you have questions or concerns about your child's language skills, early intervention is key to ensure that your child is ready for school. It is estimated that at least 10% of preschool children require additional assistance before entering school. Some children may need support in developing:
- Vocabulary
- Sentence Structure
- Grammar
- Understanding questions
- Following directions
- Improving attention/focus
- Pre-reading skills
School-Age Intervention
Some children who receive speech therapy during their preschool years may continue to need support in school. Other children have challenges that arise once they have started school. Some issues that need therapy may be related to:
- Vocabulary
- Word Finding
- Following directions
- Language processing
- Reading/Writing
- Listening/Attention
- Expressing themselves
While there may be some assistance while in school, many children require additional support that may not be offered.