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How do children learn to talk? Modelling is an evidence based strategy to help slow talkers Children learn to talk by hearing other people talk. They hear all the people all around them talk. This process of listening to other people talk starts from the day they are born. Their little brains are hard wired to take in sounds and words from the very beginning. Children, from babaies to pre-schoolers, learn language from the people around them. They learn language from the people they spend the most time with. This is usually the parent. However, it can be siblings, grandparents,…

Communication is a complex yet fascinating process. Speech Pathologists understand that the early years in your child’s life are a critical time for communication development. Watching your child begin to communicate, and then to become a very proficient communicator is an amazing process. All of this happens in a relatively short period of time, and it is a process that Speech Pathologist understand in great detail. For many children the development of communication is a straightforward process. However, some children take longer to talk, and some children need help to build the foundations for communication. The following checklists have been…

Is your child saying ‘fing’ for ‘thing’? Are they saying ‘dat’ for ‘that? The ‘th’ sound is a later developing sound. Speech Pathology Australia advises that children don’t have to able to say this sound until they are about 8 years of age. Some children can say the ‘th’ sound much earlier, some children learn it when they start school, and some children keep making this speech error. Children develop their speech sounds in a general order. This starts in their first year of life, so let’s have a look at speech sound development. Before the age of 1 year This…

Most children start using their first words between 12-16 months of age. Some children started using words at 9 months. Other children start to talk at 18 months. Like everything else, children vary in the age that they start talking. Does it matter if a child isn’t talking at 2 years? When a child isn’t talking at 2 years then it’s time to take a closer look at what is happening. It helps parents to know what is ‘normal’ when they are concerned about their child’s speech and language development. Understand the difference between speech and language Speech is how clearly…

Developing Clear Speech Sounds Clear speech development is very important for children. It is part of their overall communication development, is critical to their friendships, and it integral to children’s academic success. Some children learn to speak clearly very quickly. Other children take longer to learn to speak clearly, and some children will need help with their speech. Our Speech Pathologists at our Bondi Junction clinic believe that it is much better to identify any speech development issues early and resolve them early. When children first begin to speak, most children can’t say a lot of sounds clearly. This is…