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Article Children’s speech and language – What’s normal?

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Did you know that 41-75% of Australian preschoolers who have early language delays still experience reading difficulties at the age of eight?

It’s a worrying statistic, but studies have shown that if you want your child to have solid foundations for later literacy, it’s important to ensure that your preschooler’s speech and language skills are age appropriate now.

What’s normal?

According to paediatric Speech Pathologist Rebecca King from Kids First Children’s Services in Sydney, children frequently make mistakes when they are learning to speak.

“When they are learning to talk, all children sometimes utter oddly worded sentences, put speech sounds in the wrong spots or omit them altogether,” she said.

“If your three year old is saying ‘hopstible’ instead of ‘hospital’, there is probably not a lot to worry about. However if your child is still making this error at the age of four and half, it would be worth consulting a speech pathologist to help your child to develop age appropriate speech and language skills.”

Rebecca says that it’s not uncommon for kids aged between two and six to misunderstand what is said to them or to forget a sequence of instructions.

“If your child occasionally forgets things, you should not be overly concerned,” she said.

“But if your child seems to be ‘tuned out’ or consistently unable to remember something that has been recently said to them, have them seen by a specialist who can determine if this is something that requires support.”

What’s not normal?

Ms King said that while making some simple language errors is a normal part of children’s development, there are some abnormal speech and language habits that parents should monitor closely and seek advice about if they are concerned.

“It is not typical for children to stutter, be disinterested in communicating with other people or make infrequent eye-contact with others,” Rebecca said.

She advised that parents should also be on the lookout for preschoolers who are stand-offish with people who are not members of their family, echo all or part of what other people say word-for-word or speak with a consistently hoarse voice.

“Some children have naturally reserved temperaments and many go through phases of shyness however, parents need to be careful that these behaviours do not mask an underlying problem.”

“Issues like stuttering and an inability to connect with others can have long term effects on a child’s social, emotional and learning development. They need to be addressed as quickly as possible so that children have the best chance possible to learn to communicate successfully.

Where can I get help and advice for my child?

Ms King said that a paediatric speech and language specialist is the best person to advise parents about strategies to help a child overcome communication challenges.

“In our experience at Kids First, a parents’ gut instinct about their child is rarely wrong. If you are concerned, seek advice, if only for your peace of mind.”

“Language is the precursor to all learning and international research has proven that early intervention gives kids the best chance of overcoming communication difficulties.”

“An independent professional can give you the information you need to make informed decisions for your child and the strategies you learn may make an enormous difference to your child’s future happiness and health.”

To find a paediatric speech pathologist in your area, contact Speech Pathology Australia

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Comments

  • Interesting I didn’t know much about children’s speech. My daughter seemed to pick it up quickly.

    • i agree everyone I’ve been in contact with seems to pick it up quickly 😀

      • Same with my daughter knew a lot of stuff by 18 months old

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  • In most cases, kids pick up speech fairly well, but in some cases, not talking from an early age, may indicate a more serious problem – such as hearing loss or autism. Grommets may help with the hearing, but you will need early intervention for autism.

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  • Its beautiful to know that there is no need to stress over little things!

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  • Great read, my son is a little behind in his speech but it seems to be progressing normally, so I’m not panicking.

    • My son is the same. He’s slowly but surely progressing so I’m not worried.

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  • Great article to read, my son has trouble with “th” he pronounces “f”. We continue to correct him and his other language skills are great… So nothing to worry about. Thanks

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  • thanks for the article it was an informative read

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  • lots of great info here thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  • Thanks for sharing ,very informative

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  • Sometimes a child’s speech is impaired when they have a problem with their ears like grommets

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  • Good read, thanks for the information.

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  • Thanks for this informative article.

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  • Thanks for the informative article. My son is almost three and it is reassuring to read that his occasional mispronunciation is normal.

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  • Thanks for this article. It’s very hard as a first time parent, especially if you don’t attend a mothers group to know what’s normal and what is not. I had a friend who had a child with language delays that wasn’t picked up early. The child had had regular ear infections and colds and eventually got grommets when the problem was picked up.

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  • My nephew also used to speak ‘odd’ younger, parents were extremely concerned. They started him at day care (before starting kindy) to get acquainted with other kids, this somewhat helped in his speech – he was absolutely fine by kindergarten..

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  • My niece had a speech problem until she was 5.
    We were really worried but when she started school she was great.
    All she needed was some other little kids to talk to.

    • My nephew had speech problems but was diagnosed with autism and still has problems

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  • My brother couldnt take properly til he was at least 6.

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  • We have had to teach our three and a half year old to say twenty not quenty. Still trying to figure out if our other son is stuttering or just not getting his words out because his mind is working faster than his mouth.

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  • Thanks for the advice -was wondering recently if little miss skipping hte ‘s’s at the beginning of her words was normal. Thanks for putting my mind at ease

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  • Thanks for the info. It’s something I’ve never really thought of before or seen much information on. Thanks

    • I have not seen much about this either!

    Reply

  • Thank you for the things to look out for

    Reply
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