Services

Early Communication Delays

It is extremely important to recognize the signs of a communication delay as early as possible. Children are expected to reach specific communication milestones by certain ages and children who missed one or more of these may need extra help catching up. These include:

• Infants: May not babble or use the same number and variety of sounds as other babies.
• Toddlers: May be slower to use words and take longer to speak in full sentences.

Speech Sound Disorders

These refer to errors in speech sounds by mispronouncing, substituting or leaving out a sound. Most children make mistakes as they learn a new language. It is typical for children at certain ages to produce errors with specific sounds, however, a speech sound disorder occurs when a child is producing an error with a sound they should have already acquired.

Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (making sounds) and phonological processes (sound patterns). These may have an impact on a child’s speech intelligibility when communication with others.

Language Disorders

Language disorders include difficulties with the understanding of language (receptive language) and the use of language (expressive language). They include any of or a combination of the following: grammar, sentence construction, content and meaning, as well as how language is used. Language disorders may lead to emotional issues and academic struggles.

Auditory Processing Disorder

This affects how the brain processes spoken language, caused by interference with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech. Children with this condition cannot process what they hear in the same way others do, because their ears and brain don’t fully coordinate. This makes it challenging for them to process verbal instructions or even to filter out background noise in the classroom.

Children with these difficulties may also have difficulty responding to sounds, understanding spoken language, concentrating and expressing themselves with speech. Their reading and spelling may also be affected.

Fluency Disorder

Stuttering is the most common type of dysfluency, which occurs when there is an interruption in the flow of speech caused by repetitions of sounds, syllables or whole words, sound prolongations or blocks in airflow or voicing. This affects the rate and rhythm of speech.

These may also be accompanied by physical tension, as well as secondary behaviours such as motor movements (e.g. eye blinking) and avoidance of sounds, words or speaking situations.