Speech and Language

From an early age, I (Julie) have always been a "talker." (Just ask my husband!) I think communication is so powerful and it effects so many aspects of our daily living. 

I have been a Speech-Language Pathologist for a little over 10 years. When I first started in this profession, I worked in the school system. I worked with kids from preschool to middle school. I loved working in the school setting. Watching kids learn and grow and meet their goals was very exciting and rewarding. As Joey and I started our family, we felt like the best choice for us was to have me stay home with our kiddos. That is how I came to the decision to transition my career to a more "home-based" therapy program. I am currently an Indiana First Steps Provider of Speech Therapy. I get to help families and children, birth to three, on their language learning journey! It is an honor to be a part of my families' lives and to watch their children develop and grow! 


I am going to use this space on our blog to promote language-enriched environments for our readers. I am also going to include some basic information about speech and language development. 

Many children experience difficulty when attempting to produce intelligible (clear and understandable) speech. When children struggle with the correct production of speech sounds, it makes it difficult for listeners to understand what they are saying. It can also produce frustration in the child, as well. Speech sound production occurs on a developmental basis according to a child’s chronological age. Some children may acquire skills more quickly than others. 

Mawhinney and McTeague (2004) give the following chart:

90% of Children Have
Mastered These Sounds…
…By Age…
p, d, m, w, h, n
2 years old
t, b, k, g
3 years old
f, v, y
4-5 years old
s, z, j, l, r, sh, ch, th, blends
5-7 years old


The following are some developmental language milestones:

Age
Behaviors
Birth to 3 Months
·         Appears to recognize your voice and smiles or quiets
·         Makes pleasure sounds (cooing)
·         Smiles reflexively as a newborn then develops social smile by 3 months
4 to 6 Months
·         Moves eyes toward sound source
·         Babbles using more consonant-like sounds (p, b, m)
·         Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
·         Begins to play “peek-A-boo” and other games
·         Imitates some movements and sounds
7 to 9 Months
·         Exhibits resistive behaviors
·         Shouts for attention
·         Imitates play
·         Plays vocally
·         Recognizes some words
·         Uses social gestures
·         Uses social jargon
10 to 12 Months
·         Shows moods
·         Uses objects appropriately (ex: spoon to pick up food)
·         Obeys simple commands and directions
·         Speaks one or more words
·         Recognizes own name

EARLY WARNING SIGNS:
There are some early warning signs that Speech Language Pathologists try to look for when evaluating a young child:
• poor eye contact
• poor imitation skills
• disinterest in paired games like “peek-a-boo”
• short attention span
• difficulty with eating various foods
• aggressive behaviors/tantrums
• inappropriate play behaviors (i.e., inability to complete a puzzle, not placing action on
  objects, disinterest in age-appropriate toys)