Speech Therapy Navigator

10/03/2025

Is it Important to Monitor Developmental Milestones in Children….

The answer is YES. Tracking developmental milestones is vital for monitoring a child’s growth and identifying potential delays early. Parents play a key role by observing and documenting milestones such as first steps, words, or social behaviors. They can use tools like milestone checklists (e.g., CHDR book - Sri Lanka), apps (e.g., CDC’s Milestone Tracker), or printable worksheets to track progress visually and interactively. These resources also provide tips for supporting development and reminders for screenings or appointments. Sharing milestone records with healthcare professionals improves communication and ensures tailored support for the child’s need.

…Chathurika D. Sumanasiri….

27/02/2025

MORAL DEVELOPMENT….

Parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s moral values, which guide them in making ethical decisions and developing strong character. Teaching honesty, kindness, respect, and responsibility helps children build a solid foundation for social and emotional growth. However, using harsh discipline, such as hitting or emotionally putting them down, is not an effective way to instill morals. Instead, positive approaches like open conversations, guidance, and proper reinforcement work best. When parents talk with their children, explain the reasons behind right and wrong, and reinforce good behavior with encouragement, children are more likely to understand and internalize moral values. A strong moral upbringing not only helps children navigate challenges but also contributes to a more compassionate and responsible society.

Chathurika D. Sumanasiri

24/02/2025

PDA vs ODD vs ASD

19/02/2025

“Listening is Just the Beginning: Why Speech Therapy Matters After Hearing Aids/Cochlear Implants”

Proper speech and language therapy is crucial after addressing hearing issues with hearing aids or cochlear implants because these devices provide access to sound but do not automatically ensure comprehension or effective communication. Therapy helps individuals, especially children, develop the ability to detect, imitate, and understand spoken language by building listening and speaking skills.

For CHILDREN, ‘early intervention’ is vital as hearing loss can delay speech and language development, which impacts social, academic, and future occupational success.

Speech therapy also supports parents in fostering communication skills at home, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the treatment. Regular therapy ensures long-term improvements in language abilities and helps individuals fully integrate their new auditory experiences into meaningful communication.
(Chathurika D. Sumanasiri)

16/02/2025

Here are some effective activities for enhancing children’s language development:

• Storytelling and Reading: Reading books and creating stories together introduce new vocabulary and encourage communication. Linking stories to real-life experiences can further engage children.

• Word Games and Role-Playing: Games like Scrabble, Pictionary, or role-playing scenarios help build vocabulary and communication skills while sparking creativity.

• Songs, Rhymes, and Tongue Twisters: These activities enhance phonological awareness, listening skills, and pronunciation through rhythm and repetition.

• Interactive Conversations: Narrating daily activities, asking open-ended questions, and expanding on children’s responses help develop sentence structure and vocabulary.

• Creative Arts: Drama, dance, and role-play encourage imaginative use of language and social interaction.

These activities not only improve language skills but also foster confidence and cognitive growth.

15/02/2025

—-Stuttering—-

Stuttering is a common speech disfluency that affects many children.

📌It’s characterized by repetitions, prolongations, or blocks in speech. While the exact cause isn’t fully understood, it’s often linked to genetics and neurological factors rather than psychological issues.

📌Early intervention with a speech-language pathologist can be very effective in helping children manage their stutter and improve their communication skills.

📌Patience, understanding, and a supportive environment are key to helping a child who stutters feel confident and comfortable speaking.

15/02/2025

—- BUILDING BLOCKS ——
Build Your Words, Brick by Brick! 🧱 Speech therapy can be fun! Use building blocks to create structures and tell stories about them. Describe the colors, sizes, and shapes. Follow instructions to build specific things. Great for practicing vocabulary, following directions, and sparking conversation!

24/01/2025

Does your child repeat everything you say?
Is it a problem? 🤔

🗞️🖊️Understanding Echolalia Children🖊️🗞️


Echolalia is a relatively common speech issue that can be difficult for parents to understand. It involves repeating words or phrases that a child hears from others. Today, let's dive into what echolalia is and how it affects speech development.

What is Echolalia?
Children with echolalia repeat words, sounds, or phrases they hear from others. For example, your child might say, “What do you want for dinner?” right after you say it. They might even repeat longer phrases from their favourite cartoons, sometimes mimicking the accent of the character.

As a speech therapist, I view echolalia as a normal part of how children develop speech. When learning to talk, children tend to copy the sounds and words they hear around them. Over time, they start to connect new words and form their own sentences.

For example, if you show your child a car, you might say:
• Parent: "Car. This is a car. A car goes vroom. Vroom, car, vroom."
• Child (often repeating with you): "Car, vroom car," "Car, fast car."

However, with echolalia, you may notice a difference in how your child repeats phrases. They might imitate what you've just said without fully understanding its meaning. For example:
• Parent: "Do you want to play?"
• Child: "Do you want to play? Do you want to play? Do you want to play?"
In this case, the child is repeating the question without understanding its purpose.

When Should You Be Concerned?
By age 3, most children begin to form their own sentences to communicate. If your child is still primarily using words and phrases they've heard from others and isn’t forming their own sentences, it could be a sign of an underlying issue such as ASD, Tourette syndrome, head injury and so on.

Is Echolalia Linked to Autism?
Since children with autism often repeat words or sentences, you might wonder if echolalia is always connected to Autism. While echolalia is common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it does not necessarily mean that a child is autistic just because they repeat words or phrases.

Echolalia might occur for various reasons, such as:
1. Processing thoughts: The child could be thinking about the phrase.
2. Processing questions: They may be processing the question you just asked.
3. Considering options: They could be evaluating the choices you provided.
4. Time to think: Repeating words might give them time to think and respond.
5. Other language or learning challenges: It could indicate difficulty in understanding language or processing information.

In some cases, the repetition helps children understand what you've said. It might also point to challenges with language development.

While echolalia can sometimes be a sign of autism, it's not the ONLY factor to consider. Pay attention to whether your child:
• Has trouble understanding others
• Struggles to learn new words
• Lacks interest in pretend play
• Finds it difficult to socialize or engage with others

If you notice any of these signs, it's a good idea to consult a speech and language therapist. They can provide guidance on whether further evaluation or support is needed. If you’re concerned, don’t hesitate to speak with your GP for additional advice.

How Can You Help Your Child with Echolalia?
If your child shows echolalia, you may wonder how to best support their communication development. As a parent, there are several techniques you can practice at home to improve interaction and help them better understand language:

1. Keep it simple: Use short, simple sentences. Just because your child uses long phrases doesn’t mean they understand them fully. Simplifying the language helps them grasp the meaning more easily.

2. Be visual: Pair your words with visual cues. For example, when saying, “Time for a sleep,” show them a pillow. Visual and verbal cues together can help reinforce meaning.

3. Give choices: Offering choices helps children connect words to actions or objects. For example, ask, “Car or ball?” or “Big cup or small cup?” After they choose, provide the item so they can link the word to the object.

4. Model short phrases: Use simple phrases during play. For example, while they play, say, “You’re playing with your doll. Your big doll.” This helps children connect words to objects.

5. Avoid questions: Questions can be challenging for children with echolalia. Instead of asking questions, turn them into statements:
o "Who is here?" becomes "Dad is here."
o "What are you playing with?" becomes "You’re playing with cars."

6. Respond to your child: Always respond to whatever your child says, even if it’s unclear. This shows that you’re listening and that their words matter.

Try these techniques for 10-15 minutes a day, or as suggested by your speech therapist. Patience is key—language development takes time and practice!

(Chathurika D Sumanasiri)

17/11/2024

11/06/2024

Let's help your child to speak

18/05/2024

🎉Happy national speech pathologist day everyone 🎉