It’s important to remember that your child will develop at his own rate. He may be a “fast learner” or a bit slower than others. Boys and girls differ in terms of speech and language development.

• Some sounds will only develop when the child is older – between 4 and 6 years old.
• Your 2-year old child should be able to say p, b, m, h and w the right way in words most of the time.
• A 3-year old child should be able to say k, g, f, t d and n the right way in words, most of the time.
• If people find it hard to understand what your child is saying – even those who know him well – your child may have a disorder.
• Compare your child to his friends of the same age. If his development is significantly slower than the rest, it may be a good thing to bring him to me for a professional assessment.

• Talk to your child. Use the words and sounds the right way – he will use you as his speech model!
• Read stories! Even that one that he likes and wants you to read over and over again. That’s excellent learning.
• Talk to him about the things you do, while doing it. You may sound like a rugby commentator, but this will allow him to see the actions that go with the words. Ask him what he is doing. Allow him the freedom to tell it in his own way.
• Allow a very young child to say some sounds the wrong way. Don’t be too eager to correct him.
• As your child gets older, you must use a lot of different words and also longer sentences and you may gradually correct wrong sounds.
• Allow your child to play with other children – that is where he will practise his language skills!
• If your child is exposed to a second language, make sure to distinguish between the two.
• Be mindful of how you use your language at home. Don’t use slang words or mix Afrikaans with English words – at least try not to!

Yes!

Ear infections  – or otitis media – will cause a temporary hearing loss in the middle ear and that will make it difficult to hear speech in conversation.

The higher frequency sounds like “f”, “s” and “th” are particularly difficult to hear if a child has an ear infection.

Ear infections that are neglected or not treated effectively, will not only be a concern for chronic conductive hearing loss but will definitely make it difficult for your child to hear some sounds or tell the difference between certain speech sounds.

Active management and treatment of ear infections and regular hearing tests will reduce the risk and effects of hearing loss on speech development. 

First thing to remember – don’t rush! Your child is going to be at school for a very long time – make sure he’s ready, otherwise, it will not be fun! – neither for you nor for him.

• Your child must be emotionally and socially mature. Can he interact with other children without you present?
• Can your child control his emotions or frustration? Can he express his feelings?
• Can your child follow basic instructions and concentrate on tasks?
• Is your child’s speech, language and auditory processing development age-appropriate?

It may help you to have a look at this Language Development Norms and Sound Development Chart. If you are in any way concerned, rather bring him to me for a professional assessment.

Absolutely!

A wise person once said that a Speech and Language Therapist is your post-stroke partner. Very appropriate and yes, any measure of restoration of your language or speech deficit after a stroke is absolutely essential.

Not only will therapy restore your confidence to communicate and connect with others – it will improve your quality of life and allow you to concentrate on your healing process.

Experience dictates that for young children, a weekly therapy session of 30 minutes is the norm, considering the busy schedules of our children as well as the child’s personal attention span.

I do consult adults more regularly (e.g daily) and for longer sessions, up to 60 minutes.

This is difficult to predict. A wrong behaviour needs to be changed and corected and this needs time. Some patients show immediate improvement, others may have more serious problems and progress can be very gradual.

Speech Therapy needs dedication and hard work – not only from me, but also from you and the rest of the family. You need to be involved and complement my therapy sessions by assisting the patient with additional exercises at home.

I will discuss the patient’s progress with you on a regular basis and also give you regular “homework” to use at home. I can also give formal written progress reports if required – usually, I do a progress assessment every 6 months.

I determine my own tariffs. I do however follow the guidelines proposed by our Professional Association (The South African Association of Audiologists or SAAA for short).

You may work on a total cost of not more than R1650 per month (2020 tariffs). This is based on an average of 4 weekly therapy sessions but any additional services (like progress reports) are not included.

Most Medical Funds have plans that cover all or at least a substantial portion of this cost. It would be best for you to consult your Fund representative or benefit schedule to determine the exact information. Usually, the costs for Speech Therapy will be paid from the limited savings or day-to-day benefit of your specific plan.

We can claim directly from your Medical Fund but bear in mind that you are ultimately responsible to settle any short payment or rejected claims. 

The most common categories of reading- and spelling defects are:

• Delay: The child struggles to acquire reading- and spelling skills.
• Dyslexia: The child experiences continual difficulties to acquire age-appropriate reading- and spelling skills, despite additional therapeutic assistance, adequate motivation to acquire the skills, and normal to above-average intelligence. (Sharma et al, 2009)

If you are worried about your child’s reading- and spelling skills, contact me today for an evaluation.

Do I need to worry if my voice “disappears”?

• Why can’t I speak as loudly as before?
• Why do I struggle to talk clearly when I use a phone?
• How long will it take to recover my “old” voice?

The most common reasons for voice problems are:

• Chronic upper respiratory infections
• Chronic gastric reflux
• Voice abuse
• Vocal cord nodules / laryngeal papillomatosis
• Vocal cord carsinoma
• Emotional stress
• Vocal cord paralysis
• Excessive nasal voice quality after tonsillectomy

Make an appointment for a diagnostic voice evaluation at my Practice. A programme in voice hygiene will be followed, if needed.