What is a Speech Pathologist for children?
A Speech Pathologist is an Allied Health professional who specialises in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of individuals with communication and/or feeding/swallowing difficulties (Source: SPA). Speech Pathologists work with individuals and children who might have difficulties listening to and understanding language, speaking, reading and writing, using their voice efficiently and safely, stuttering, eating and drinking, or using social skills. Within a paediatric private practice, speech pathologists primarily work with children who present with communication difficulties as a result of a disability (e.g. autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, etc.) or developmental delays (Source: RCH). As speech pathologists, we work with not only the children but also schools and families to support the development of communication skills.
As paediatric speech pathologists here at BillyLids Therapy, we work with children aged 0-10 to support them in achieving their communication goals. In particular, we work with children who may have had a slower start to developing their language, or children who may have difficulties producing correct and clear speech. We also work with children who need extra support when it comes to learning to read and write, or children who require an alternate mode of communication, such as a communication device. That’s just to name a few areas that we work in as paediatric speech pathologists.
What might Speech Pathology look like for my child?
Speech Pathology looks different for every child depending on their age and what their goals are. Here at BillyLids Therapy we aim to have a fun, creative, safe and supportive environment for your kids to thrive in. Speech Pathology sessions might take place within one of our clinics, or out within the community (e.g. at Kindy’s, schools or homes) depending on what would suit your child and family best. We use a combination of play-based therapy and more structured therapy activities to target your child’s specific goals. Much like anything in life, therapy isn’t necessarily always fun, but as speech pathologists here at BillyLids Therapy, we strive to make therapy as enjoyable for your little billylid as we can, to help them achieve their goals both inside and outside of the therapy room.
What are the key areas of practice for a paediatric speech pathologist?
Speech
The term ‘speech’ refers to how we physically say sounds within words (Source: ASHA). Children who have difficulties producing correct speech sounds could be considered to have a speech sound delay or disorder. Speech sound disorders can be classed as either organic, meaning the speech sound difficulties are as a result of underlying structural (e.g. cleft palate), motor/neurological (e.g. childhood Apraxia of Speech) or sensory/perceptual causes (e.g. hearing loss); or more commonly, functional, which have no known cause or structural contribution (Source: ASHA). These functional difficulties can present as either difficulties in articulation or phonology (or sometimes a combination). Difficulties in articulation refer to errors in the physical production of speech sounds based on the ways we use our lips, mouth and tongue, for example, a lisp. Whereas difficulties in phonology are seen as predictable, rule-based errors that affect a group or class of sounds, for instance the ongoing simplification of /th/ into /f/ (e.g. a child may produce ‘fumb’ for ‘thumb’) (Source: ASHA).
Language
The term ‘Language’ refers to an individual’s ability to understand what is spoken to them and to use words (verbal or written), gestures and/or symbols to express themselves and get their needs met. The understanding and use of language incorporates elements of morphology, which are the rules that govern how morphemes (e.g. smallest unit of meaning) are used within language; syntax, being the rules of how words can be organised to form sentences; semantics, which is the understanding and knowledge of word meanings and word combinations; and pragmatics, which are the rules governing how we use language within social situations and conversations (Source: ASHA). Language can be further broken down into Expressive and Receptive subparts. Here at BillyLids Therapy we work with children to help them develop skills in communicating effectively with others and listening to and understanding what is spoken to them.
Receptive Language
Receptive Language refers to the ability to understand and comprehend what others communicate. Children who have difficulties understanding or processing what others are saying might have a receptive language disorder (Source: ASHA), which could present as difficulties following directions, understanding concepts, or answering questions (Source: NSW Gov).
Expressive Language
Expressive Language refers to the way that we use our language (e.g. words and sentences) to communicate our thoughts and ideas. Our expressive language skills are vital for our expression of views and our ability to form meaningful relationships. Children who have difficulties expressing their thoughts, feelings and ideas might be considered to have an expressive language disorder (Source: ASHA). This might be expressed through difficulties using a wide vocabulary, forming appropriate sentences that contain all words and correct grammar, telling stories, and asking questions (Source: NSW Gov).
As paediatric speech pathologists who see children at the beginning of their communication journey, we also work towards developing a child’s prelinguistic skills. Prelinguistic Skills are defined as intentional and meaningful pre-verbal communication skills that support young children in communicating prior to developing their first words, and also during the initial use of single words (Walt et al., 2006). These skills are the foundational skills that form a child’s basis of understanding and using language. These skills include joint attention (e.g. your child might point to a toy to draw your attention to that toy), use of gestures (e.g. pointing or waving), imitation and turn-taking (Source: Powerpoint presentation – Hopkins, A., & Flynn, R.). As early years speech pathologists, we work to support children in developing these vital prelinguistic skills to set them on the path to developing further receptive and expressive language skills.
Social Communication / Pragmatic Language
Children may also need support developing their social communication skills and their pragmatic language skills. Pragmatic language describes the language that is used in social situations, and involves knowing how to use language for a number of different purposes (e.g. requesting, greeting, informing, etc.), following different conversation rules (e.g. turn-taking, topic maintenance, understanding and using personal space and body language), and adapting language used depending on who they are speaking to or the environment they are speaking in (e.g. talking to an adult vs. child, or in a playground vs. classroom) (Source: Cincinnatichildrens). Speech Pathologists can work with your child to support them in developing social communication skills that foster their ability to formulate friendships and relationships with family and peers.
Literacy
Literacy refers to the skills of spelling, reading and writing, which are essential skills required for daily activities related to communicating and learning (Source: SPA). A child begins to develop literacy skills long before they commence school, starting initially with learning phonological and phonemic awareness – learning about sounds and syllables, orientating to books (e.g. words, front/back page, etc.), and developing letter-sound knowledge of the alphabet (Source: SPA). As children get older, they are then taught how to decode (sound out words from letters) and encode (write letters for sounds) which are the essential skills required to read, write and comprehend what they are reading (Source: SPA). Speech pathologists can support children with literacy difficulties by completing formal language and literacy assessments and/or providing targeted intervention.
Feeding
Some children have difficulties when it comes to feeding and swallowing. Speech Pathologists work with children who might have difficulties developing the skills required to effectively and safely eat (e.g. sucking, chewing and swallowing) (Source: ASHA). Speech Pathologists can also work with children who have a restricted diet and/or aversions to foods (Source: KidsHealth).
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Some children with disabilities, language delays and severe speech disorders (e.g. apraxia of speech) are not able to verbally speak, or they may require additional support to help their verbal communication. For these children, we would look at implementing a means of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). AAC refers to all of the different ways of communicating that don’t involve talking, for example using sign language or a communication device (Source: ASHA). AAC comes in many different forms and is individually chosen for each client based on what suits them and their lifestyles best. AAC can be a temporary support or it can be lifelong (Source: ASHA). Speech Pathologists can support families and children in finding what AAC system is right for your child and teaching the child, family, teachers and additional communication partners how to use this device in a meaningful way to enhance communication (Source: ASHA).
Fluency
Fluency is a term that refers to how well and/or smoothly our speech flows. An individual who has a fluency disorder, for example stuttering, may have difficulties using smooth speech that flows well. Their speech may instead have many repetitions of sounds, words or phrases, prolonged sounds (e.g. sssssstop), have pauses within their sentences, or use more than usual filler words (e.g. um, uh) (Source: ASHA, ; KidsHealth).
Voice
Our voice helps us to communicate our messages with those around us, but sometimes there might be some issues with the way we use our voice or breathing that causes us to sound a bit different. Your child might talk too soft or loud or too high/low pitched, have a hoarse or croaky voice, or lose their voices easily (Source: ASHA). If this happens your child might need to see a speech pathologist to learn how to use their voices in a healthier way so that they don’t risk hurting their vocal cords.
What do I do if I have concerns about any of the above areas for my child?
If you have any concerns about your child’s communication or feeding development, reach out to the team at BillyLids Therapy to book an initial consultation. Initial consultations are a fantastic opportunity to find out more about how your child is developing and whether there is any need for therapy. The first thing that will happen when you see one of our speech pathologists is they will complete a case history with you and a mix of formal and informal assessments depending on your concerns. This gives the speech pathologist a chance to get to know your child and their goals to support planning of client-centred evidence based practice.
Here at BillyLids Therapy, we support children being funded through the NDIS (self-managed and plan-managed only), through Medicare and Private Health services and privately funded clients.
I just want to help my child, what can I do?
It is completely understandable to feel a bit helpless and confused when your child is having difficulties with their communication and/or development and you’re unsure what to do. You’re definitely not alone, and are already on the right track by seeking speech pathology services for your child. Once you begin working with a speech pathologist, they will be able to guide you on how to better support your child at home, and provide you with home practice activities that you can complete with your child. As we all already know, parents are the key to a child’s progress.
Links to further information
There is so much more to know about Speech Pathologists and how we can support children to raise their little voices, so we have linked a few key websites below:
Communication Milestones
Gain insights into the key developmental stages of speech and language in children, outlining what to expect at various ages Speech Pathology Australia Communication Milestones.
Speech Pathology Australia
Visit the official website of Speech Pathology Australia for a comprehensive overview of the profession, resources, and support services available Speech Pathology Australia.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Learn more about the roles of speech-language pathologists and how they make a difference in the lives of those they work with ASHA: Who Are Speech-Language Pathologists?.
SPA Language and Literacy Fact Sheet
Access detailed information on the connection between language skills and literacy, including how early language development supports reading and writing success Language and Literacy Fact Sheet.
