Early Language Intervention

Understanding Speech and Language Development in Young Children

At Perth Speech Therapy, we understand that children achieve developmental milestones at their own pace. Many parents wonder whether their child’s speech and language skills are progressing normally. Familiarizing yourself with these milestones can offer valuable insights into your child’s growth from birth through age 3.

What is Early Intervention?

Early intervention involves taking proactive steps when a child’s speech or language development appears delayed. This timely support can greatly benefit children by initiating exercises and tools that enhance their communication abilities.

Why Early Intervention Matters:

1. Critical Developmental Period: The first five years of life are crucial for language development. During this period, a child’s brain is highly adaptable, making it optimal for learning.
2. Preventing Challenges: Addressing speech and language delays early can mitigate future academic difficulties and social challenges.
3. Maximizing Potential: Early intervention equips children with essential skills for effective communication, enhancing their participation in social and educational settings.

Signs to Watch For:

If you notice the following signs in your child, seeking early language intervention may be beneficial:

• Limited verbal output – mainly vocalizations
• Using fewer words compared to peers
• Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds or words
• Trouble following directions
• Showing little interest in communicating
• Limited interaction or preference for solitary play

Our Speech Pathologists can assess your child to determine if intervention is necessary and will customize a plan to meet your child’s needs.

What a Speech Pathologists Can Do:

1. Assessment: We begin by evaluating your child’s language abilities to identify strengths and areas needing improvement. This includes standardized tests, observations, and discussions with your family.
2. Goal Setting: Based on the assessment, we collaborate with you to establish specific, measurable goals for your child’s language development.
3. Treatment Planning: We design a personalized treatment plan focused on strategies and activities to address your child’s unique challenges. This plan includes recommendations for home practice and skill generalization.
4. Therapy Sessions: Our sessions incorporate evidence-based practices to enhance language skills.
5. Family Education: We empower parents with techniques to support their child’s language development at home, fostering a supportive environment.
6. Collaboration: We work alongside other professionals involved in your child’s care to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to their development.

Understanding Milestones:

Language development in children typically progresses through several stages from birth to 4 years of age. While each child develops at their own pace, here is a general overview of the typical milestones:

 Birth to 6 months:

• Crying: Newborns use crying as their primary means of communication to express hunger, discomfort, or fatigue.
• Cooing: Around 2-3 months, infants start making cooing sounds, such as “oo,” “ah,” and “ee,” in response to stimuli and to engage with caregivers.
• Babbling: Between 4-6 months, babies begin babbling, producing repetitive consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., “bababa” or “dadada”).
• Responding to familiar voices and sounds.

6 to 12 months:

• Babbling expands: Babbling becomes more varied and may start to include sounds from the language(s) spoken around the baby.
• Gestures: Babies start to use gestures like waving “bye-bye” and reaching to communicate.
• Understanding simple words: Babies begin to understand and respond to simple words and phrases, such as their own name or “no.”

12 to 18 months:

• First words: Children typically say their first recognizable words around their first birthday.
• Vocabulary growth: They start to acquire more words, often related to familiar objects, people, and actions in their environment.
• Simple gestures: Children use simple gestures along with words to communicate, such as pointing to request something.

18 to 24 months:

• Word explosion: Vocabulary growth accelerates, and children may learn several new words each day.
• Two-word phrases: Children begin to combine two words to form simple phrases or sentences, such as “more juice” or “big dog.”
• Following simple instructions: They can understand and follow simple one-step instructions.

2 to 3 years:

• Language development continues to progress rapidly.
• Longer sentences: Children start to use longer sentences and more complex language structures.
• Asking questions: They begin to ask simple questions, such as “What’s that?” or “Where is it?”
• Pronouns: Children begin to use pronouns (e.g., “I,” “you,” “he,” “she”) correctly.

3 to 4 years:

• Language becomes more sophisticated: Children’s language becomes increasingly complex and grammatically correct.
• Storytelling: They can tell simple stories and engage in imaginative play.
• Understanding concepts: Children understand and use concepts like size, color, and location in their language.
• Social communication: They become more skilled at engaging in conversations and interacting with others.

At Perth Speech Therapy, our goal is to support every child’s journey by providing early intervention that enhances their overall development and future success.

If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, contact us today for an assessment and personalized guidance. Together, we can empower your child to reach their full potential.