The Most Anticipated Moment from my personal-professional collection, circa early 1980s
The Most Anticipated Moment…
The most anticipated moment for a parent is the sound of a child’s first words. But what if the words are delayed, jumbled or seem as if they will never come at all? Even young children should be able to communicate their needs & wants. Although the stages they pass through in the development of speech & language are very consistent, the exact age when they hit these milestones varies from child to child.
Speech & language are different & can be affected alone or together. Simply, speech is how we speak (intelligibility) using our speech sounds, voice & fluency. Language is what we understand & express through communication (meaning) with socially shared rules regarding vocabulary, grammar & conversation. Almost 10% of young children have a noticeable speech articulation disorder. Speech sound production development is interwoven with oral language, early reading skills, social interaction & self-esteem. Learn more about each developmental stage in our Language, Literacy & Learning blogs.
Children’s “conversation” should be understood by an unfamiliar listener:
50% of the time by age 2
75% of the time by age 3
90+% of the time by age 4
“No child is too young or a concern too small that an evaluation or consultation would not be beneficial if a Speech-Language Pathology or related problem appears present.” ~ Lori Savage Grayson, Founder of Children’s Communication Center, Inc.
Contact Us for more information regarding concerns you may have AND to learn about the Parent-Child “Show & Tell” groups focusing on early communication!
