language development and delay
What is a language delay?
‘Language’ refers to the skills involved in picking and choosing the right words to say, and the ability to understand what is being said. It is different from ‘speech’, which is all about the individual sounds made by our mouths.
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Having trouble understanding or comprehending what others say is a receptive language difficulty. Having problems sharing our thoughts, ideas, and feelings is an expressive language difficulty.
As children grow and interact with the world around them, they also grow and develop their language skills (the length of their sentences increases and they begin to ask and understand more complex questions). Each child meets developmental milestones at different rates and after varying degrees of practise, however, there are widely accepted developmental norms for the acquisition of language skills. When these are not attained, or are attained at a slower rate than chronological age peers, it might indicate a potential ‘language delay’. Language delays can be purely developmental, or they can be associated with other conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability.
How is a language delay diagnosed?
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A language delay is diagnosed and treated by a Speech Pathologist, with the exact assessment process depending on the child's age and abilities, as well as the individual language concerns. An assessment often includes things such as the collation of background information, collection of language samples and formal or informal assessment. While informal, play-based screening assessments can provide lots of information about functional language (how a child is able to understand and use language in their everyday life), a formal, standardised assessment is required to officially diagnose a language delay. Standardised assessments often take longer than an informal screening assessment, provide detailed information about many aspects of a child's receptive and expressive language skills, and allows collected information to be compared to same-age peers, indicating how 'severe' a potential delay is.
How can a Speech Pathologist support a child with a language delay?
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Speech pathologists hold a crucial role in supporting children to develop language skills to communicate, socialise and participate in everyday activities; these skills have large impacts on a child’s social life, experience at school and overall wellbeing. Every child is different and holds individual strengths and differences, so the types of support services recommended will vary depending on your family’s individual needs.
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A speech pathologist will work closely alongside children and their families or teachers to come up with personalised and meaningful goals. These might include working on how your child follows instructions, answers questions, names everyday objects, or puts words together to form sentences. Therapy sessions are designed to be play-based and engaging, using activities and strategies that suit your child’s age and stage of development; your child probably won’t even realise they are engaging in therapy!
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Speech pathologists also work closely with parents and caregivers, providing practical ideas and tips to use at home to help support your child’s communication every day. Your Speech Pathologist will create a list of individual strategies for you to use at home, to ensure your child’s communication skills are maximised in all environments so that therapy continues when you leave the clinic.
What should you do?
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If you have concerns about your child’s language skill development, or if you have more questions, don’t be afraid to contact us. You can give us a call on (03) 9008 4076 to discuss your concerns and our recommendations for navigating assessments, therapy, or strategies to use at home, as well as availability to book an initial appointment with one of our clinicians.
Evidence has shown that early intervention is crucial for language delay so get in touch today.
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