Learn more about the services we offer for our preschool aged children under each area of practice!
Receptive Language
Receptive language refers to a child’s ability to understand a spoken message. This includes being able to understand language concepts (e.g. big/little; in/on/under; first/last) and vocabulary (e.g. nouns, action words), and remember and interpret spoken instructions, sentences and questions. Receptive language skills are build on top of and alongside:
- Attention and Concentration
- Pre-language Skills (e.g. use of gesture and joint attention)
- Social Skills (e.g. the ability to engage in reciprocal interactions with others)
- Play Skills
Our speech pathologists endeavour to work closely with the child, their parent/carer and educators in order to achieve a holistic approach to developing the child’s receptive language skills. We use a combination of direct therapy and compensatory strategies when developing your child’s skills in following instructions, understanding spoken messages, comprehending language concepts and grammatical structures, and understanding wh- questions.
Expressive Language
Expressive language refers to a child’s ability to formulate and produce a spoken message.This includes aspects such as size and use of vocabulary, grammar and the way in which words and ideas are combined into sentences and conversations.
Fluency
Stuttering, is a disruption in the fluency or rhythmic flow of speech. It often appears during early childhood between the ages of 2-4, and can persist into adulthood if natural recovery or early intervention have not taken place. At HDST, we treat stuttering in pre-school aged children using the Lidcombe Program. To learn more about stuttering therapy at HDST, click here.