Find out more about all of the skills that come together to help children develop speech, language and communication- The Building Blocks of Language!
Most children develop speech, language and communication in a predictable sequence with each new skill building on skills already learned. Although we can expect these skills to develop within a given age range, children will progress through these stages at their own pace (have a look at the Child Development Timeline for more information). When thinking about your child’s level of communication, it is important to think about the basic skills that are needed to support them to develop. For example, if a child has only recently started using single words, they have a long way to go before their speech sounds will be fully developed no matter what age they are.
Some children with long term speech language and communication impairments may not develop skills at all stages.
Click for more information to find out more about why each building block is important for successful communication.
Tablets, mobile ‘phones, TVs, laptops and computer games consoles are everywhere and most of us couldn’t do without them!
We all know that allowing your child screen time sometimes feels like the only way parents can get things done. Giving your child access to a tablet or phone is often a surefire way of keeping them happy and busy whilst you get on with other things.
But did you know that too much Screen Time could have an impact on your child’s language development?
Click on the leaflet for more information.
Many parents use a dummy to help soothe their child. This is understandable as most babies have a strong sucking reflex and often a dummy can help settle a child. Dummies can be an invaluable support to parents and babies in the early months of development.
However, did you know that prolonged use of a dummy can cause potential risks to the development of speech and language?
Click on the leaflet for more information.
Try these simple tips to get the most out of talking times with your pre-school child!
Top tips on helping your child with unclear speech.
Some children, when they are learning to talk, can stumble over words/pause and start again etc. This can sound like a stammer. Between the ages of two and five years it is normal for a child to repeat words and phrases or hesitate while they are thinking of what they are trying to say. Many children will become more fluent as they get older but others can continue to get stuck and find talking difficult.
It is important to seek advice and information on how to help as soon as you notice your child becoming non-fluent.
A bilingual child is one who hears or speaks two or more languages (multi-lingual).
Many young people successfully learn more than one language in their pre-school years at home. Many children learn one language at home and then go on to learn English as an additional language when they start nursery or school.
Advice for parents of children who are exposed to more than one language.
Many young children speak dysfluently at times, especially when they are under some pressure to speak. There is no exact point at which normal dysfluency becomes stammering though there are features which enable us to decide between normal non-fluency and stammering.
Normal non-fluencies are usually relaxed repetitions, often of whole words either at the beginning of a phrase or when a child is thinking of how to finish a sentence.
There is a greater risk of stammering developing when the child often gets stuck on words, prolonging or repeating part of the words or putting excess effort into finishing them. It is also a concern when the child seems aware of and upset by their dysfluencies. However, one of the things that make it so difficult to say with certainty whether or not a child stutters is that there can be so much variation from day to day and in differing situations.
By now the child who stammers may have been stammering for some time. Some children may stammer with obvious physical tension and some may have mild, infrequent non-fluencies such as repetitions and sound prolongations.
To speak fluently children need to: know lots of words, know how to put words together (grammar); think quickly of the “right word” or correct sentence to say what they mean; listen and understand what others say; learn which sounds we use in our language and how they are put together to form words. They also need to coordinate the movements for breathing and speaking. These skills are affected by how the child feels as well as by the demands placed on him. When the child feels: happy, confident, listened to, sure of the content etc.., then it is easier to speak well. When the child feels: upset, tired, unwell, over-excited, unimportant etc.., then speaking can be difficult. Depending on these factors breaks in fluency can be expected.
You are not the cause of your child’s stammering but you are the best people to help their talking get easier.
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/apps-library/baby-buddy/
www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk
www.parentclub.scot/articles/play-talk-read
www.literacytrust.org.uk/talk_to_your_baby
