Private Speech & Language Therapy Services (PSLTS)

Parents, teachers do you know that spoken language has a great impact on written language development such as spelling and reading.Take a note of children who are having some difficulties with school. It could be associated to speech , language difficulties.

Happy new year 2014

Your role in language learning

Maybe you are a couple raising your baby, or you might be a sole parent or caregiver. Whatever your family structure, you are the most 'significant other' your baby interacts with communicatively. The way you engage with him or her will determine the path that language development takes in the vital first five years.
Be natural

Enjoy this exciting period in your child's development. Talk in a natural way about what he or she is doing, seeing and hearing. Listen to the sounds, and later the words he or she says, and respond, so that your child knows you are listening. Read stories together from an early age, and make communicating fun.

Do you want to know about Speech & Language Therapy/pathology?

Private Speech & Language Therapy Services (PSLTS) Speech therapist

how to initiate communication

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)are pervasive(affect a wide area of developmental skills) developmental disorders with deficits in information processing.Autistic Spectrum disorders include
1. Rett Syndrome,
2. Childhood disintegrative Disorder,
3. Autism,
4. Asperger and
5. PDD-NOS.
Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder(ASD) have problems with
1. social interaction/contact,
2. verbal and non verbal communication,
3. behaviours or interests
4. Imaginative ability

A speech & language therapist (SLT) is a professional whose central involvement is in the prevention, assessment, intervention, management and scientific study of disorders of human communication.
Human communication, in this context comprises all those processes and functions associated with the production of speech and with the understanding and production of oral and written language, as well as forms of non-verbal communication. The SLT’s role also includes work with people who have swallowing and feeding disorders.
Communication disorders result from a variety of medical / environmental causes which can be classified as:
• Neurological disorders e.g. cerebral palsy, stroke, head injury
• Ear, nose and throat disorders e.g. hearing impairment and deafness, cancer, laryngectomy, laryngitis, voice disorders, cleft palate
• Learning difficulties (mental handicap) e.g. delayed development, This may or may not be associated with some childhood disorders such as Autistic Spectrum disorder, Down syndrome etc
• Functional causes e.g. stammering

What are the milestones for speech and language development?

The first signs of communication occur when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. Newborns also begin to recognize important sounds in their environment, such as the voice of their mother or primary caretaker. As they grow, babies begin to sort out the speech sounds that compose the words of their language. By 6 months of age, most babies recognize the basic sounds of their native language.

Children vary in their development of speech and language skills. However, they follow a natural progression or timetable for mastering the skills of language. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine if a child is on track or if he or she may need extra help. Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss, while other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder.

So then,how do speech and language develop?

The first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, is the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. These skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

There appear to be critical periods for speech and language development in infants and young children when the brain is best able to absorb language. If these critical periods are allowed to pass without exposure to language, it will be more difficult to learn.

Speech and Language Therapy is concerned with the management of disorders of speech,language,communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

A Speech and Language Therapist aims to assess and treat speech,language and communication problemss in all people of all ages to enable them to communicate to the best of their ability.

Speech and Language Therapists work with people who have difficulty producing and using speech,difficulty understanding and/ or using language,difficulty feeding,chewing,or swallowing,people with a stammer or people with a voice problem,among others