Speech Therapy For Toddlers & Preschoolers

At Eastside Speech Solutions we see a large number of very small children with little or no speech. We know how to provide effective and fun speech therapy programs for toddlers in clinic for your toddler or preschooler and we can help you to learn techniques to facilitate your child’s speech at home. Communication is a tricky and complex thing and many parents spend sleepless nights wondering if their toddler or preschooler’s speech and language development and comprehension skills are normal.

Speech Therapy for Toddlers

Whilst children develop their speech and language skills at different rates, there is a general pattern to their development which can help you determine if your child has reached the right developmental milestones for their age. A well-trained and experienced speech language pathologist will look at different aspects of your child’s communication to evaluate how they are progressing. With our comprehensive children's speech and language therapy, we focus on:

Pronunciation/Articulation – where we focus on how your child says their speech sounds in words
Language expression – focuses on what your children says and how they use words
Understanding/language comprehension – focuses on how well your child understands instructions as well as language concepts.
Fluency – focusing on how smoothly and correctly your child speaks without stuttering

When To Call For Help?

a boy playing with therapeutic toys with his mom

The important thing to know is that early intervention by a speech therapist for kids is always preferable. A small delay in a toddler can become a big problem once a preschooler reaches school-age and starts to read and write.

If you are worried about any aspect of your toddler’s speech or understanding of what they hear, we recommend you discuss your child’s development with a pre-school teacher or carer, and if in doubt consult a speech pathologist at Eastside Speech to determine if your child is reaching the right developmental milestones.

In summary, call Eastside Speech Solutions and ask for your toddler to be assessed if :

You are worried about your child’s language delays, comprehension, expression and/or understanding
You think your child’s understanding is different from other children of the same age
Your child stutters (no matter what their age)
Your child’s voice sounds different from other children’s e.g it sounds hoarse
Your child’s teacher express concern.

Contact Eastside Speech Solutions to find out more about our speech pathology service for your toddler or preschooler.

By integrating preschool speech therapy into each stage of your child’s development, we ensure that they receive the support and guidance necessary to thrive in their communication skills.

Preschool Screening

Many parents wonder if their child’s speech is at the right level for their age. Talk to your preschool director about Eastside Speech providing a FREE Speech and Language screening at your centre.

Find out more information about our free preschool screening service.

Get In Touch

Frequently Asked Speech Therapy Questions

For more information about Eastside Speech Solutions and how our speech therapist can assist with speech and language problems:

When should I consult a speech pathologist about my child?

In summary, contact Eastside Speech Solutions and ask for your child to be
assessed if:

You are worried about your child's language comprehension, expression and/or understanding
You think your child's understanding is different from other children of the same age
Your child stutters (no matter what their age)
Your child's voice sounds different from other children's e.g it sounds hoarse
Your child's teacher expresses concern.

What are the developmental milestones for a toddler?

By the age of one, your baby should be able to:

Say dad, mumma and a few other words
Try to make familiar sounds, such as car and animal noises
Respond to familiar sounds such as the telephone ringing, vacuum cleaner or a car in the driveway
Understand simple commands such as "no!"
Recognise their own name
Understand the names of familiar objects and people
Enjoy songs, music and books.

By the age of two most children start to talk to themselves and you can seen their language and communication skills starting to develop:

Listen to stories and say the names of the pictures
Understand simple sentences, such as "where's your shoe?"
Say the names of simple body parts such as nose or tummy
Use more than 50 words such as "no", "gone", "mine" and "teddy"
Talk to themselves or their toys in play
Sing simple songs such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little star" or "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"
Try simple sentences such as "Milk all gone"
Use some simple pronouns such as "he", "if"
Should be able to say m, n and h correctly.

By the age of three, your child's communication should be understood by family, close friends and regular carers and they should be able to:

Understand how objects are used e.g. a crayon is something you draw with
Recognise their own needs such as hunger
Follow directions
Understand basic concepts (in/under, hot/cold)
Use 3-4 word sentences
Understand basic grammar
Enjoy telling stories and asking questions
Should be able to say p, b, m, n, ng, w, y, t, d, k, g and f

By the age of four, your child should be able to be understood most of the time by most people. If you find friends and acquaintances can not understand your child's express then perhaps a visit to a therapist may be warranted. Your child should be able to:

Understand shape and colour names
Understand "wh" questions such as "where are they going?" or "why did he fall?"
Understand "time" words such as lunchtime, today, winter
Use lots of words (900+) and understand complex sentences
Use 4-5 word sentences
Use correct grammar most of the time
Use language when playing with other children
Should be able to say s, z, sh, ch and j

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you are concerned about any aspect of your baby or toddler's speech or language please give us a call.

Click here for milestones for school age children.

Isn't it normal for some children not to say some sounds?

Speech Therapy For Toddlers & Preschoolers