Speech and Language Development in Children

Articles, resources and activities for children's communication development.

Speech and Communication Book Reviews
Reviews of recommended books on speech, language and communication in children with speech difficulties.

Why Do Children Have Difficulty Learning to Talk?
A few of the common problems we have seen. (James D. MacDonald, Speech and Language Therapist)

Bridge to a Silent World
A family is healed when a nurse teaches sign language to the parents of a deaf little girl. (Margaret Hevel, RN)

Speech and Language : Causes, Milestones and Suggestions
Most children have speech that is easily understood by an unfamiliar listener by school age, however, some children take longer to develop their speech. (Kimberly A. Powell, Ph.D.)

Tuperman Meet Superman - Successful Speech Therapy
A young child with autism makes amazing progress in her speech therapy, in this true story. (Margaret Gonzalez)

Guidelines for Your Child's First Words
Children learn words and use them in communication best when those words do the following things. (James D. MacDonald, Speech and Language Therapist)

Having Conversations with Children Learning to Talk
Vital recommendations to help your slow to talk child.. (James D. MacDonald, Speech and Language Therapist)

Finding the Right Words
Answering the questions, "When will your child talk?" (Carolyn Murray)

The Surprising Power of Waiting
In our work with parents, teachers and therapists, we find waiting to be one of the most powerful ways to help a child communicate. (James D. MacDonald, Speech and Language Therapist)

Coaching Conversation Skills
What to do when your child does not know how to have conversations with peers, even sabotaging conversations by making silly or unrelated remarks. (Dr. Steven Richfield, Child Psychologist)

Young Children's Oral Language Development
An overview of the process and mechanics of communication, along with implications for practice. (Celia Genishi)

Our Experience with Speech Therapy
A two year old benefits from speech therapy and early intervention. (Patty Dawson)

Common Speech Problems for Younger Children
Watch for these warning signs of speech issues in chidren, as described in this interview with Laura Dyer, Speech-Language Pathologist (Allison Martin)

Playing Store to Learn Letter Sounds
A simple imaginative activity to teach alphabet letters and the sounds they make. (Gary Kosman and Grace Chiu)

Conversation Guide for Older Children & Adults
Conversation skills to improve your life. (James D. MacDonald, Speech and Language Therapist)

Speech and Language Milestones for Babies and Children
A quick introduction to the concept of speech milestones. (Allison Martin, Biologist)

Speech and Language: Developmental Milestones
Development and milestones of articulation and language from birth to five years old. (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Children with Communication Disorders
The term communication disorders encompasses a wide variety of problems in language, speech, and hearing. (ERIC)

See also: Special Education Helper with Four Paws and Curls
A remarkable therapy dog encourages communication and self-esteem in a special education classroom. (Donna Vaquer)