Speech Pathology

How can a Speech Pathologist help?

Speech Pathologists are health professionals trained to assess and manage communication and/or swallowing difficulties. At Little Speech, our speech pathologists can work with you and your child in areas such as speech, language, fluency (stuttering), and literacy.

What is the difference between Speech and Language?

Speech and language are two different things. Children may have difficulties with one area or both.

Speech: refers to the physical production of sounds (i.e. pronunciation). A child with a speech disorder may have a limited range of sounds they use, have trouble saying some sounds or putting two sounds together. This means it can be hard for others to understand them. It’s important to note that some speech errors are normal, depending on your child’s age, but some may need specific therapy.

Language: refers to the words and grammar that your child knows. This is often split in to receptive language (your child’s ability to understand others) and expressive language (your child’s ability to use words and grammar to get their message across). Following instructions, naming pictures and remembering new words are all examples of language skills. See our checklist for indicators may have language difficulties.