Helping School Age
Will my toddler have trouble with language skills as they get older? What will speech-language therapy look like when they are in school? Should I be concerned?
These are some difficult questions to ask yourself.
In our school system, most information is taught via language. This includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. For children who are older (e.g. ages 5 and up) language impairments can make it difficult to succeed in school.
Your school-aged child may be experiencing language based learning difficulties if they have trouble thinking of the right word, telling stories in a logical order, using grammar in writing, or spelling. When it comes to understanding language, they may have difficulty following the teacher’s directions or they may not be able to decode/read words that are expected in their grade.
Often, children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) have difficulty in language-based academics. Students with CAPD cannot process the information they hear and are usually characterized as ‘poor listeners’. They have normal hearing ability, but there is a disconnect between what is heard and what is understood.
Audiologists can diagnose CAPD and Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) can help with the difficulties present in school.
A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive, process, store, and respond to information. It can describe how someone with at least average intelligence has difficulty in acquiring basic academic skills.
Psychologists can assess for a learning disability and SLPs can help here as well.
It is not uncommon for a child to be working on reading, writing, articulation, listening and language expression skills in a single speech-language therapy session. If you are concerned about your child, consider seeking the advice and counsel of your Doctor, Audiologist or SLP. You can contact Clearway Speech here.
Find ways to support your toddler’s speech and language development through Clearway Speech’s online learning, the ultimate blueprint to Help Your Toddler Talk.