What is Speech and Language?

 

Speech and language are words that refer to different aspects of communication. Communication is one of the most crucial requirements for participation in society across the lifespan. As babies we form bonds with our parents via communication. As children and adolescents, we use all sorts of communication to learn, as well as feel a sense of belonging in our environment. As adults, communication helps us to achieve our goals, express ourselves, develop friendships and be educated and employed.

Language refers to the words we use, the way we put them together and how we use them to communicate with others. Speech refers to the mode that most humans use to put across their message. Speech sounds are formed by the complex interaction of the tongue, lips, palate and breath, and combined to produce words

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Difficulties with speech and language can occur across the lifespan. For example, a young child may have trouble learning words or forming sounds; or an adult who has had a stroke may lose the capacity for speech and language due to damage in the brain. Both of these people may require the help of a speech pathologist.

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​Why is early intervention important for speech and language development?​

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Oral language is not only vital to communication of needs and wants and to our social development, but it also impacts significantly on learning to read and write. Strong oral language skills are the building blocks on which literacy development is based. Without solid oral language foundations, children are at risk of school failure, low self-esteem and poor social skills.

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Speech Sessions offered:​​

Sessions are offered for children aged 18 months to five years.

Areas of Focus:

Receptive Language: Receptive language is what a child understands. It involves the processing of sound into meaningful messages and comprehending these messages. Comprehension of language concepts, questions and instructions are part of receptive language.

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Expressive language: vocabulary and semantic organization, narrative, grammar / syntax. Expressive language is what a child says. Expressive language development begins with a child’s first sounds in babble, and progresses through to the development of large vocabularies, production of sentences (syntax) and more extended language such as stories (narratives) and conversations.

Phonological awareness: Phonological awareness is the knowledge and ability to attend to and manipulate, the sounds in language. Phonological awareness includes skills such as rhyming, breaking words up into syllables, identifying the sounds in words (e.g. the word ‘dog’ is made up of the sounds d-o-g), and blending sounds to make words (e.g. d-o-g makes ‘dog’). Along with other oral language skills, phonological awareness is a vital skill in the development of literacy.

Social skills / play skills Play and social skills are important components of a child’s overall development. In the early years, play is the natural mode of children’s interaction with their environment and it provides the foundation for development of language and literacy. Children with communication difficulties often need specific help with developing their play skills, and explicit teaching of social skills to interact with their peers.

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Phonological awareness: Phonological awareness is the knowledge and ability to attend to and manipulate, the sounds in language. Phonological awareness includes skills such as rhyming, breaking words up into syllables, identifying the sounds in words (e.g. the word ‘dog’ is made up of the sounds d-o-g), and blending sounds to make words (e.g. d-o-g makes ‘dog’). Along with other oral language skills, phonological awareness is a vital skill in the development of literacy.

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Social skills / play skills: Play and social skills are important components of a child’s overall development. In the early years, play is the natural mode of children’s interaction with their environment and it provides the foundation for development of language and literacy. Children with communication difficulties often need specific help with developing their play skills, and explicit teaching of social skills to interact with their peers

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