Receptive, expressive and social/pragmatic language are considered critical milestones in a child’s life, but sometimes they are delayed. It’s important that parents and caregivers pay attention to the signs that a child is slowly progressing, not progressing or even regressing in language skills so he or she can receive the proper therapy. Early intervention is essential.
In the early years of life, children should begin to make basic connections between language and their surroundings. For example, a child should observe his/her parents’ mouths when they speak and begin to perform gestural language (e.g., waving). Children should also begin to understand what their parents’ words mean (following commands), form sounds that will eventually become words and pair their own words to become utterances about objects or events. When children have language disorders, they will lack one or more of these basic skills.
When one of our speech-language pathologists begins to work with a patient, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted, which includes assessing language (understanding and use), speech/resonance, voice, fluency, oral motor and swallowing abilities. A thorough plan of care with long-term goals and short-term objectives is developed and therapy is initiated. A big part of success in therapy is working closely with parents and caregivers because the home is an environment rich in opportunities to reinforce language. Home programs can empower the parents and caregivers to be involved in moving the child’s language skills along through play, interaction and socialization.
At HPRC Pediatric Therapy and Pediatric Rehabilitation, our setting is unique in that it offers comprehensive services, including therapy for gross and fine motor skills. If a child exhibits problems in these areas, we have physical and occupational therapists on site to work and collaborate with speech-language pathologists. Together, as a comprehensive team, we can see a child’s development as a complete picture.
