As I have worked as a Speech Language Pathologist I have found my passion in working with the pediatric population. There is nothing more rewarding for me then being able to work with a child and their family and watching as they form different ways to communicate with their loved ones! My first job out of my master’s program I was hired as a Preschool Speech Language Pathologist. I strictly serviced the preschool classrooms in the district and my passion for this age group soared. This is where I was introduced not only to the preschool population in the school but was also able to further my interest into Early Intervention. I learned the importance of being not only a provider for the child at this young age but also as a support system for the parent/caregiver. It truly is a team effort when working with children of a young age and early identification and intervention its very important.
Your child may be experiencing speech and language problems before they start school and that is okay. Speech Language Pathologists are here to help! I find the process can be very overwhelming for parents, with different test acronyms and standardized scores. It is extremely important when talking with parents to make sure you are using a language that they are comfortable with. Taking the extra time to explain everything to them can change your entire relationship and course of therapy while working together.
I have found the number one confusion over the years especially with the preschool population is understanding the difference between a language disorder versus a speech sound disorder.
A Language Disorder is more typical when you see a child struggling with following directions or understanding questions. They many have trouble learning new words or speaking in longer phrases and sentences. Language disorders can be separated into expressive and receptive language disorders or a child could have a combination of the two.
A child that is struggling with understanding is more likely to have a receptive language disorder. A child with a receptive language disorder may demonstrate issues with following directions, answering questions and/or difficulty pointing to named objects and pictures.
A child that is struggling with verbal expression and speaking is more likely to have an expressive language disorder. A child with an expressive language disorder may demonstrate issues with naming objects, asking questions, using gestures, putting words together to form phrases and sentences, and/or struggle to learn songs/rhymes.
A Speech Sound Disorder is when a child is having trouble saying their sounds clearly. For example, maybe that say “baba” for “mama.” It is extremely important to understand that not all sounds are acquired at the same age. Children learn some sounds earlier than others. When a child who does not say sounds by the expected ages, they may have a speech sound disorder. Other common terms you may hear are “articulation disorder” or “phonological disorder.”
If you feel your child is struggling in one of the above areas, call today to set up your FREE screening! I will do my best to help determine which area your child is in need. And will work with you and your child to help improve their understanding and verbal communication. The ultimate goal is to help your child learn ways to communicate their wants and needs.
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