SPEECH & HEARING MONTH #maymonth

May is finally here! It happens to be one of my favourite months, not just because of the warmer weather but because it is Speech and Hearing Awareness Month!

Throughout May we take extra time to promote our roles to others who may be unfamiliar with what Speech-Language Pathologist (SLPs) and Communicative Disorders Assistants (CDAs) do. SLPs and CDAs (as well as audiologists) around Toronto and across Canada are reaching out to their communities to help spread awareness and education, and are using the hashtag #maymonth. This is my first blog post, and there were many directions that I could have taken for this posting, but I wanted to make it as relevant and interesting to the readers as possible.  I have decided to break down a few myths that people are often told about speech and language development and present you with the facts.

If your child’s speech or language are delayed but they are otherwise typically developing, they will grow out of their delay

• It is true that some children may grow out of their delay, however, no one knows who will and who will not. More than half of late talkers will often struggle to catch up to same age peers without intervention. Early intervention is key (see our earlier blog on this topic). It is always better to start at the first sign of an issue, as early intervention often results in decreased duration of therapy and a better chance of catching up. It is best to access support rather than “wait and see” to see if your child will “grow out of it”. Let’s consider this one FALSE.

If you use baby talk you are stunting your child’s language development

• This is a FALSE statement. Using baby talk can actually help your baby’s speech and language development! Baby talk, also referred to as motherese, has a higher than normal pitch, a slower rate of speech, uses simple vocabulary, is repetitive, emphasizes important words and uses exaggerated facial expressions.  This language style makes it easier for babies to understand what words are important and hold the most meaning. Don’t be afraid to use baby talk, however, keep in mind correct grammar while doing so, and remember to not only use baby talk!

Talking in telegraphic speech helps young children learn to talk

• This is a FALSE statement as well. What is telegraphic speech, some of you may ask? Examples include, “Where coat?” vs. “Where’s your coat?” and “That Daddy hat” vs. “That is Daddy’s hat”. Some people may say that telegraphic speech is easier for babies and children to understand as it focuses on the important words in the sentence and omits function words. While this may be true, it can often hinder children’s expressive language development as they get older. Children need exposure to correct grammar in order to use it, and we need to be the ones to model it for them! It is more beneficial to use shorter, grammatically correct, sentences rather than longer, ungrammatical ones.

Educational television, DVDs, movies and apps will help language development

• We understand that parents have very busy schedules and screen time is a reality and necessity in many situations, and in these cases, it’s better to use educational programs and apps over non-educational ones. While these various programs can help your child learn new vocabulary, they can also be limiting, as this vocabulary may only be understood in the context it was learned. Educational screen resources are not bad, but babies and children learn the most through interaction and play with people!

 Learning two languages at the same time will cause a language delay

• Another FALSE statement. It may seem like a child learning two or more languages has fewer words than a child learning one, however, if you take into account their complete vocabulary, it often evens out or even surpasses that of the monolingual child. A monolingual child may know 20 words in English while a bilingual child may know only 10 in English but also 10 in French. Children will often mix languages when learning, but this is typical and should diminish over time. If you do notice your child is struggling with both languages seek the help of an S-LP before eliminating one of the languages from your child’s life!

I hope you were able to learn a few new things! If you have any remaining questions about speech and language development, or the development of your child, feel free to contact us here at SpeakAble Speech Therapy Services. Google can often give misleading information and be a worrisome place to start, that is why we are always happy to be your source of information!

Have a happy and educational #maymonth. For more information about the campaign, check out www.maymonth.ca

Sheela Sriharsha B.A (Hons) Communicative Disorders Assistant