Is your child turning 3? They’re not a baby anymore! So what can you expect for their speech and language development over the next 12 months?

As a speech and language therapist, this is probably the most common question asked of me by parents at the clinic. I have developed a quick and easy to read checklist for the norms for a 3-year-old’s speech and language so you can have something to refer to. By having the criteria to work from, you can be in control of picking up any red flags for possible delays and target them as soon as possible. Because after all, the earlier the intervention the better.

STANDARD SCORES
– Children’s scores are converted to standard scores so that they can be compared to scores of children of the same age
– Most tests have an average standard score of 100.
– Increments of 15 are used to separate the population into “average,” “below average,” and “above average” sections
– If your child receives a score between 85 and 115, it is considered to be within the average range. This is why the curve is higher for this section because most people fall in the average range

PERCENTILE RANKS
– Percentile ranks are given as an easy way to compare your child to other children his or her age
– A percentile rank of 16 for example, means that your child falls within the 16th percentile. In other words, it means that your child scored the same or higher than 16% of children the same age who took the same test
– Percentile ranks are not the same as percent of correct answers on a test

Marisa Donnoli – Psychologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Before children start to communicate with words, they develop pre-language skills.
Developing pre-language skills is essential for successful communication and is the non-verbal means of communication. Pre-language skills typically develop around 9-15 months. Pre-language skills is important as it forms the foundation for language development and facilitates social and emotional development.

Pre-language skills include the following:

• Joint attention: The ability to share interest in an object or action.
• Eye Contact: Encourage your child to maintain eye contact by facing your child when you are speaking with him or her. It is also important to be at the child’s eye level when engaging with him.
• Attention: A child needs to be able to focus on people, objects and events in the present environment to learn.
• Turn-taking: It is important for a child to learn how to take turns as this encourages a rhythmic back and forth exchange when conversing. Turn-taking also facilitates social interaction skills.
• Play skills: Play skills are important as it facilitates social and communication skills as they explore and learn the environment and interact with others.
• Imitation: Imitation involves copying the communication partner. Imitation is crucial as it allows children to learn new skills quickly by watching those around them.

Strategies to facilitate pre-language skills:
• Play with your child at his/her level using various toys.
• Talk about activities that you’re doing throughout the day.
• Simplify your language.
• Change your vocal intonation to help gain the child’s attention and to keep the conversation interesting.
• Encourage joint attention by following the child’s eye gaze or interest and talk about what they are doing or looking at using simple language.
• Turn off background noise to allow the child to solely focus on your voice.
• Be face to face with your child when engaging with him/her.

Written by Senali Alahakone – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Many families have heard about Autism (or Autism Spectrum Disorder “ASD”) but it is sometimes hard to know what to look out for in your own child. Children with autism have a range of skills and abilities and don’t all act the same way. Here are just a few signs that may indicate it’s worth seeking advice from a healthcare professional:

• Your child doesn’t talk as much as other children their age
• Your child doesn’t respond when you call their name
• Your child doesn’t use eye contact to share interest with others
• Your child has difficulty with changes in routine
• Your child goes out of their way to avoid sensory input or seeks it out
• Your child uses toys in repetitive ways and doesn’t like ‘pretend play’

If you have a child between 11 and 30 months old, you can also use a free app called ‘ASDetect’ to monitor your child’s social attention and communication behaviours. The app was developed at La Trobe University in Melbourne and is free and easy to use.

More information on ASD and child development is also available on the Raising Children’s Network.

Written by Eleanor Brignell – Speech Pathologist for De Silva Kids Clinic.

Can you believe your baby is turning 3?!? Not a baby anymore! So what can you expect for their speech and language development over the next 12 months? You know that feeling where you think “is my child on track? Or is there something he/she is missing? I wish I knew what to expect for this age group!”

As a speech and language therapist, this is probably the most common question asked of me by parents at the clinic. So… I have developed a quick and easy to read checklist for the norms for a 3 year old’s speech and language so you can have something to refer to. By having the criteria to work from, you can be in control of picking up any red flags for possible delays and target them as soon as possible. Because after all, the earlier the intervention the better.