Stuttering in children

30 July 2019

Did you know that 12% of 4 year olds will stutter, with a majority going on to naturally recover. Factors that may influence a child’s natural recovery from stuttering may include:

  • Being teased or bullied
  • Having a negative attitude towards speaking
  • Parental stress

We do know that the more severe the stuttering, the longer the treatment time required. Surprisingly, time from when the stuttering first occurs to when a child starts treatment does not predict how long treatment is required for remediation of stuttering. Choosing to intervene or not is a delicate balance of the above risk factors and priorities for each individual child and family.

Jones M, Onslow M, Harrison E & Packman A (2000). Treating stuttering in young children: predicting treatment time in the Lidcombe Program, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 43, 1440-1450.

Feeding skills at 12 months

16 October 2017

All toddlers develop their feeding/swallowing skills at their own pace, dependent on their exposure to food types, developmental skill level and preferences for certain textures. At 12 months, toddlers should be enjoying self finger-feeding. Most toddlers will be using their jaw, lips and tongue to eat chewable foods in a co-oordinated manner. Signs your toddler may be having difficulties with their feeding/swallowing skills include: (but not limited to)

  • Consistent coughing or wet breath sounds after eating or drinking
  • Refusal of certain foods and/or drinks
  • Restrictive food textures (e.g. only accepting smooth purees)
  • Gagging on solid foods

If any of the above sounds familiar to you, speak with a speech pathologist for some guidance and ideas to facilitate your toddlers feeding/swallowing skills.

Arvedson, J. and L. Brodsky (2001). Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding Assessment and Management. Canada, Singular Thomson Learning.

Late talkers

27 May 2017

9 to 20% of 2 year olds will be late talkers. Some toddlers will naturally resolve and develop age-appropriate speech and language skills on their own. Other toddlers, however, will persist with ongoing delayed speech/language skills without intervention. Some predictive factors for late talkers include:

  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy
  • Low income
  • Being male
  • Minimal interest in reading books
  • Internalising behaviours (e.g. feeling sad, social withdrawal, nervousness, stomachaches)

Zubrick, S. R., Taylor, C. L., & Rice, M. L. (2007). Late Language Emergence at 24 Months: An Epidemiological Study of Prevalence, Predictors, and Covariates. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR, 50(6), 1562–1592.

Developing bilingualism in kids – 5 factors to consider

30 January 2017

Factors which affect language proficiency in bilingual children include:

  • The age of when your child is first exposed consistently to the languages (i.e. two languages at birth versus one language at birth and a second language in school years).
  • The environment and context where the language is used (e.g. home, school, grandparents).
  • The social acceptance for the use of each language. Is learning a second language encouraged in your family and wider community?
  • How similar the two dialects are to each other (i.e. tonal differences).
  • Cognitive ability and hearing sensitivities.

Assessment by a speech pathologist with knowledge and skills in the area of childhood bilingualism is encouraged if you have any concerns about the development of your child’s bilingual skills.

Kohnert, K (2013). Language disorders in bilingual children and adults, 2nd Ed, Plural Publishing: Melbourne.