The following is an explanation of some of the areas where our speech and language therapists can provide support.

Pre-Language Skills
This refers to eye contact, gestural communication, facial expression, babbling, sound imitation, and nonverbal communication that develops before verbal communication.

Oral Motor Skills
This refers to the strength and coordination of the face and mouth muscles needed for speech and feeding. Signs and difficulties in this area may include: drooling, poor control of food while eating, and unclear speech.

Articulation
This refers to the speech production of all sounds within a language involving accuracy in placement of the articulators, timing, direction of movements, force extended, speed of response, and neural integration of all events.

Language
Receptive language is spoken or written messages a person understands. Expressive language is the words or gestures a person uses to communicate. Children with receptive or expressive language difficulties may have problems with communicating easily, following directions and learning to read and write.

Pragmatics / Social Language
This refers to skills such as taking turns, making indirect requests, eye contact, attention, and social skills.

Cognition
This refers to thinking skills such as memory, organisation, planning and problem solving.