What is Speech? What is Language?

As a pediatric SLP… Photo: CCC

What is Speech? 

Speech is our verbal communication and has three main aspects:  Articulation, which is how speech sounds are made; Voice, the use of one’s vocal folds and breathing required to produce sound; and Fluency, the rhythm of one’s speech. When one has difficulty producing speech sounds correctly or fluently or has problems with his or her voice, then s/he has a speech disorder.

Signs of a Speech Sound Disorder

Our children are communicating from the start. Remember, this is only a partial list of concerns which may signal a speech disorder.

Please consider speaking with your primary care physician and/or an ASHA certified & state licensed Speech-Language Pathologist* if you child presents with any of these concerns, or if you have other concerns or questions about your child’s communication development.

Proud to be an ASHA Certified SLP! Photo: LSG

*Lori Savage Grayson, MMSc, CCC-SLP,FSL, this Center’s Founder & Director, is an ASHA certified SLP and is licensed by the State of Florida She has been practicing in Speech-Language Pathology since 1979. Learn more about her professional education, training & experiences.

Your child:

  • Says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly in words between the ages of 12 months to 2 years.
  • Has a limited number of consonants and vowels used to form “words” with few or no new sounds added between 12 months to 2 years.
  • Says k, g, f, t, d, and n incorrectly in words in addition to the previous grouping between the ages of 2 to 3 years.
  • Is not understood by unfamiliar listeners
    • 50% of the time by 2 years
    • 75% of the time by 3 years
    • 90% of the time by 4 years

What is Language?

Language is different from speech and consists of socially shared rules that include semantics (word meanings), syntax (how to combine words, grammar), and pragmatic language (how to efficiently use language). Receptive language is the understanding of spoken or written words. Expressive language is the ability to formulate, organize and share thoughts, ideas and feelings through spoken or written words. Speech and language disorders can exist separately or together.  The difficulty may be mild, moderate or severe. But, no matter the type of problem or the severity, Speech-Language Pathology services are available.

Signs of a Language Disorder

Our children are communicating from the start. Remember, this is only a partial list of concerns which may signal a language disorder. Please consider speaking with your primary care physician and/or an ASHA certified & state licensed Speech-Language Pathologist if you child presents with any of these concerns, or if you have other concerns or questions about your child’s communication development.

Your child:

  • Birth to 3 months
    • Doesn’t smile or interact with others. During this time, you might hear coos (vowels) and sighs & share eye contact and smiles in response to your interaction.
  • At 4 to 7 months
    • Doesn’t babble. Babbling is the combination of consonants and vowels which do not represent words yet.
  • At 7 to 12 months:
    • Has a limited amount of vocalizations (sounds) or babbling strings (consonants and vowels)
    • Does not use hand gestures (e.g., throw kissing, waving, pointing) which you model (show to your child) regularly.
    • Doesn’t understand what others say.
  • at 12 to 18 months
    • Says only a few words. A child 12 to 18 months should be approaching 25-50 words (they may have speech sound errors but the consonant-vowel combinations are consistently used to represent words). Typically, a child will need close to 50 words (nouns, verbs and adjectives) to begin developing phrases (early sentences).
  • At 18 months to 3 years
    • Doesn’t put words together to make early sentences which begin as 2-word combinations, but should increase in length during this time frame.
  • Between 2 to 3 years
    • Has trouble playing and talking with other children. Social communication interaction is an important aspect of language development.
  • At 2½–3 years
    • Has problems with early reading and writing skills—for example, may not show an interest in books or drawing.

 

Contact this Center and we will discuss and develop the plan that best benefits your family’s needs and concerns!

Learn more about our Speech-Language Pathology Services and how this might be right for your family.

NOTE: Visit ASHA’s pages for more information. ASHA is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.


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