Speech and Language Pathology

Speech & Language pathologists are University trained allied health professionals with expertise in the assessment and treatment of communication and/or swallowing difficulties.

Speech and Language Disorders

Young Minds has a number of Speech Language Pathologists who provide services in the following areas:

• assessment of speech and language difficulties including dyslexia
• delayed speech and language development
• early literacy difficulties
• childhood apraxia
• stuttering
• support for children with complex communication needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and intellectual impairment
• verbal and written language problems in adolescents

How do I know when to bring my child to Speech Therapy?

There are definite milestones in speech and language development which most children achieve by a specific age. There is also a wide range of what is considered normal development but it is often the pattern of communication that helps the speech pathologist decide whether the child is just “a late bloomer” or if there is a problem.

If a child is omitting the initial consonant from a word then that could be a problem depending on the age and what that sound is e.g. a three or four year old saying “poon” for “spoon” may be perfectly normal if other sounds are developing well. A young two year old saying lots of single words but not putting two words together may also be quite normal considering that child’s overall development and how well they communicate their needs.

Most speech pathologists will look at a number of aspects of the child’s development before making a speech/language diagnosis.

If you are concerned about your child’s communication development then seek advice from a speech pathologist as early as you can. We have seen children as young as twelve months because their parents were concerned that their child was not making the usual early sounds.

Generally, the earlier a child receives speech pathology the better! There are a number of stimulation ideas and techniques which will help a child progress if there is a delay in communication development. So put your mind at rest and see one of our paediatric speech pathologists if you have any concerns about your child’s speech and language development.