Speech and Language Issues in Children

Speech and language issues are often referred to together because they both relate to communication. A child may have trouble with both speech and language or just one individual component. Speech disorders refer to the production of sound itself. Language disorders refer to comprehending and expressing ideas through words.

It’s best to address speech and language issues earlier in life, but older children can certainly improve their communication skills as well. It is generally just a slower process because there are poor habits and patterns that need to be reversed.

Signs of Speech and Language Issues

• Stuttering, or the repeated struggle to pronounce words
• Repeating the first sound of words (d-d-d-dog or b-b-b-ball)
• Saying words in an incorrect or unusual order
• Keeping sentences short and fragmented, or avoiding verbal communication
• Not seeming to understand what others are saying
• Having no interest in, or obviously struggling with reading and writing

Our Speech and Language Therapy Approach

Young children and adolescents can all achieve their goals for better communication skills with an integrated speech and language therapy program. Our services are dedicated to helping children build a bridge for communication.

To improve essential speech and language skills, we evaluate your child’s performance in several different focus areas, such as articulation, comprehension and processing. In addition, our office takes a multi-disciplinary approach of supporting your child’s needs in other areas of pediatric therapy. Speech and language issues are commonly paired with social and educational disorders.

Speech and Language Focus Areas

• Speech/articulation
• Phonology
• Tongue thrust
• Pragmatics (social)
• Expressive language
• Receptive language
• Apraxia
• Fluency
• Reading/writing comprehension
• Auditory processing
• Cognitive deficits
• Other developmental or acquired speech and language deficits

To talk to us about improving your child’s communication skills with speech and language therapy in Newport Beach, call Stepping Stones Therapy today at (949) 955-0010.