Speech clarity refers to how clearly a child can form and join together speech sounds to create words.

A child with reduced speech clarity may have difficulty being understood and expressing their thoughts, wants and needs to others.

Some examples of speech errors include: “tat” for “cat”, “wabbit for “rabbit” and “boo” for “book”.

Note: Some speech errors (phonological speech errors) can be a typical part of development and they often disappear on their own. If the speech error persists past a certain age, however, it is likely that your child will require support from a speech pathologist. Refer to the blog post on phonological speech errors for more information on the different ages speech sound errors should disappear by.

Early language refers to the development of communication skills in infants and toddlers. The first 3 years are a critical period for brain development and set the foundation for future learning and language. Even before using words, babies communicate through eye contact, sounds, facial expressions and gestures. Parents play a significant role by responding to their baby’s cues and modelling communication and social skills to them.

Refer to the blog post on language skills for more information about average age of language acquisition. If your have any concerns about your child’s language development, an assessment from a speech pathologist will be able to give you more information and, if any issues are identified, a plan of action should be created to address them.