Home

>

Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy focuses on developing a child’s
overall communication skills across the following specialist fields:

AAC (augmentative and alternative communication)

Articulation and phonology – producing a full range of speech sounds and using them accurately.
Bilingualism
Dyspraxia
Expressive language
Language disorder
Learning disability
Preverbal skills such as eye contact, joint attention and using gestures.
Receptive language
Social communication such as turn-taking, staying on topic and using non- verbal communication appropriately.
Stuttering – Fluency Disorder

Common disorders

Articulation Disorder

Children develop speech sounds in stages. When a child cannot produce specific speech sounds properly by a certain age, they may have an articulation disorder.

A child with an articulation disorder may:

  • find it difficult to pronounce certain speech sounds, e.g. say “Coo” instead of “School”

  • substitute one sound for another, e.g. say “Wobot” instead of “Robot”

  • omit a sound, e.g. “At” for “Cat”, “Up” for “Cup”

Fluency Disorder

Also known as Stuttering. It begins in childhood, and may last throughout adulthood. It may affect a child’s self-confidence and social functioning. 

A child with fluency disorder may:

  • have difficulty starting a word or sentence, e.g. “H…H…H…Hello”

  • repeat words in a sentence, e.g. “Can we make…make…make a cake”

  • put extra sounds or words in a sentence, e.g. “I uh… love going uh… to uh… school”

Speech & Language Disorder/Delay

A child with Speech and Language Disorder/Delay may have difficulties understanding others (Receptive Language), expressing themselves (Expressive Language), or a combination of both.

Some red flags of language disorder/delay include:

  • not babbling by the age of 12 months

  • not talking by the age of 18 months

  • not being able to speak in short sentences by the age of 2 years

Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

Children reach milestones in feeding and swallowing. For example, they begin to put hands on bottles while feeding at 3 – 4 months old; start to accept spoon feeding or pureed food at 6 – 9 months old; can chew a wide range of textures at 18 – 24 months old.

Your child may have a feeding and swallowing problem if they:

  • refuse to eat or eat only certain textures

  • takes a long time to eat

  • drool a lot

  • have problem chewing 

Having concerns about your child's speech and language development,
or feeding and swallowing abilities?

Give us a call, and our speech therapist will let you know how we can help improve your child’s problem.