Services for Late Talkers and Early Language Development

 

This is the start of an important and wonderful journey.

Birth to five years of age is a critical time in a child’s development. Medical and educational studies, along with the personal experiences of families show that a family-centered program of support and services can make a definite, long-lasting impact on how children grow, learn, and regulate their emotions. It can be worrying when your child’s language abilities seem to be behind other kids their age.  If you have concerns about your child's speech, language or social skills, Compass is here to help! 

Every child is unique; the therapy they receive should be just as unique. Our therapy sessions take place at home and are often play-based to keep your child engaged and motivated to learn and grow. We will consult with you after each session, celebrate improvements, describe challenges, encourage and provide suggestions for reinforcement of skills.

We will work closely with your family to customize a plan based on your child’s strengths and needs. Liz, our speech-language pathologist, will model techniques and explain how you can incorporate them into your daily routines. We will also spend time addressing your questions and concerns.

To learn more about specific therapy programs, schedule your child's free consultation today.

How can I tell if my child’s speech and language development is on track?

Most parents will instinctively know if your child has speech or language problems. You may notice that your child is falling behind the others in playgroup, or having trouble communicating and understanding. Get in touch with us if:

  • You or other people are having difficulty understanding your child

  • People think your child is younger than they are because of the way they speak

  • Your child is being teased or showing frustration because of the way they talk

  • Your child is using fewer words than other children their age

  • Your child’s interactions or play seems unusual or inappropriate

  • There is a diagnosis that could affect speech or language such as hearing loss, auditory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder or developmental delay

  • Your child stutters

  • Your child is struggling with early reading or writing skills

How your child's speech and language develops

While all children develop differently, here’s a rough guide to how a child’s speech and language skills should be developing:

18 months old

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  • Can say ‘no’

  • Uses 10 or more words

  • Understands the names of familiar objects (e.g. 'doggy', 'ball', 'bed', 'car')

  • Answers the question “what’s this?”

  • Understands simple commands

Two years old

  • Can use a large variety of consonants

  • Points to some body parts when named

  • Uses two-word combinations (e.g. “more biscuit”, “Daddy gone”)

  • Enjoys listening to stories

  • Can name some pictures in stories

  • Has a vocabulary of at least 50 words

  • Can sing simple songs or nursery rhymes

Three years old

  • Correctly produces the sounds made by the letters p, b, m, w, t, d, n, g, h, y

  • Pronounces the final consonant in a word

  • Is able to follow a two-part instruction (e.g. “Go to the kitchen and get your juice”)

  • Can participate in short conversations

  • Puts three or more words together in a sentence

  • Asks “why?”

  • Can talk about something that happened yesterday or last week

  • Is using basic grammar

Four years old

  • Talks in whole sentences

  • Uses adult-like grammar

  • Asks a lot of questions

  • Answers “who”, “how”, “how many” questions

  • Tells stories you can easily follow

  • Uses language to create imaginative pretend play with others

Five years old

  • Explains how an object can be used

  • Answers ‘when’ and ‘why’ questions

  • Uses language to talk about past and future events

  • Participates in detailed conversations

  • Has little trouble thinking of what to say

  • Is not having too many difficulties learning to read