What sounds should my child be saying at a certain age? Children don’t simply wake up one day pronouncing all of their sounds perfectly. Actually, children develop sounds incrementally as their speech-motor systems mature. Some sounds are more complex to produce than others, so they emerge at a later stage. Though children develop at different rates and variability is expected, … Read More
Why should I try & improve my accent?
Not all language learners need to alter or modify their accent, but if you find it is affecting your ‘intelligibility’ – or how well others understand you – then you may benefit from accent modification therapy to improve your English accent. Not being understood can be frustrating for you and your listeners, and has been shown to negatively impact educational … Read More
How do I know if my 2 year old needs speech therapy?
Children’s speech under the age of 3 is extremely variable. Some 2-year-olds have amazing speech and communication skills, others do not. The best way to work out if you should have your two-year-old child’s speech and language skills reviewed by a speech pathologist/speech therapist, is to know what most 2-year-olds can do. Here is a guide. The average 2 year … Read More
Don’t all children lisp?
Many people will recognise a lisp in children and adults when they are unable to pronounce their ‘s’ or ‘z’ sound correctly. This is due to incorrect tongue placement in the mouth, which can lead to four different types of lisps: Frontal lisp: The tongue is too far forward in the mouth, making a ‘th’ sound (e.g. ‘thing’ instead of … Read More
How Can Speech Therapy Help People Who Are Hard Of hearing Or Deaf?
Some clients who are hard of hearing or who are deaf choose not to use speech as a means of communication; they use Auslan, which is the sign language we use in Australia. However, for those clients who wish to use speech as a means of communication, speech therapy is extremely beneficial & helpful in enabling them learn how to … Read More
When should a child start speech therapy?
This is an excellent question and one that many parents ask when they contact our clinic about their child’s speech and language skills. The great thing is that speech and language development in young children is highly researched, and we have clear guidelines about the developmental milestones that they should be reaching by particular ages. It is important not to … Read More
When should I worry about my child’s pronunciation?
Children learn to say certain sounds at different ages. Typically, the sounds that are easier to say are learnt earlier than others. The early sounds we would expect a child to be able to pronounce are p, b, m, t, d, n. As children get older, they then learn the sounds that are harder to say… For example: By 3 … Read More
Stuttering, what help is available?
What is Stuttering? Stuttering is a speech disorder which is defined by dysfluencies in a person’s speech. The cause of stuttering is not currently known but research has shown some relation to genetics. That is, if there is a history of stuttering in the family, there is a likelier chance that your child may stutter. Stuttering can be characterised by: … Read More
When is the best time to treat stuttering?
What is stuttering? Stuttering is a disorder which causes people to have difficulty talking, particularly with their fluency of speech. It is most noticeable as repetitions of sounds in words, whole words and prolongations of sounds or pauses in speech known as ‘blocks.’ What does stuttering sound like? Below is some information about the types of stutters you may hear … Read More
Five things you can do to support your child’s literacy
Parents play an important role with developing a child’s literacy skills. Here a five things you can do with your child at home to support their literacy skills: Set aside time for reading every day. Reading before bedtime is a good habit to get into. Use your finger to move across the page with each word to help your child … Read More