Speaking
out
S
peech and language are
very powerful elements of
communication. First words
are coveted by parents, and
cute conversations with our little
people can be the highlight of our
days. So, what happens when our
kids’ speech and language skills
aren’t developing in a typical way?
We spoke to speech and language
therapist, Melinda Sturges from the
child development team at Southside
Family Health Centre, Central Health
Partners, for some advice.
What’s ‘normal’?
According to Melinda, what is
“normal” varies widely. She says,
“Speech and language development
is more variable than physical
development, there’s a wider range
of ‘normal’ than with physical skills.
There’s a wider window of when most
children will start to speak. We do
have rules of thumb, of course. By
three, most typical children can speak
in short sentences, and have a good
vocabulary and simple grammar for
describing what’s happening in their
environment. Most children can be
Some children pick up language skills quicker than others, but
when should you be concerned about a child’s limited speech?
Rebecca Simpson
talks to a speech therapist to find out.
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