Speech And Language Delay ~ A Natural Difficulty With Supports Available

Speech and language delay in children is natural and it is expected. If you’re reading this you are probably a parent or grandparent.  You have children and you know how challenging, exhausting and rewarding raising a child can be. On top of this, if a child is presenting with speech and language delays, initially it can add a layer of confusion, fear, and sometimes even guilt and shame. We know that speech and language delays are real, are expected, and are present in boys more than girls. 

We also know something very, very important… possibly the most important part of this article…we know that it is not anyone’s fault. 

Because boys present with more speech and language difficulties than girls we understand that there is sometimes a genetic link to speech and language delays.  If a child is going to present with a language delay there is nothing you did or did not do which would have changed this fact. 

According to Speech Pathology Australia Fact Sheet “20% of four year old children have difficulty understanding or using language.” That’s 1 in 5 children presenting with some form of difficulty using language at the age of 4 years.  The majority of these children will be boys and the majority of parents will be confused, worried and seeking answers and support. Amazingly, funding and resources are the best that they have ever been in Australia. 

The Australian Government is aware of this need and has made resources available to families.  The most freely available resources are directed towards children who are under 7 years of age.  This is considered to be the ‘Early Intervention Years’ and it is where the most benefits are observed when supports are put into place. These resources also include ‘Community Health’ and ‘ECEI’ (Early Childhood, Early Intervention), a branch of the NDIS which acknowledges that some children will require intervention with their early development.  Community Health will provide a limited number of free sessions for children in the local areas. 

This includes our Rhodes and Top Ryde locations.  Another resource is Medicare which provides 5 rebated sessions of $55 per calendar year, per child for speech pathology or occupational therapy sessions.  This is called an ‘EPC’ Enhanced Primary Care Form and your GP will determine if your child is eligible to receive this rebate. I am passionate about breaking down the stigma around blame and shame when it comes to speech and language delay in children. 

As a Mum of two young boys I am all too aware of the challenges of raising children and supporting a child with a language delay.  Our team break down barriers about language delay.  We empower parents to feel confident practicing fun, play-based strategies that don’t even look like ‘therapy’. 

We support parents to access mental health supports, because being a parent is tough.  I’ve seen school teachers, pediatricians, nurses, homemakers, educators and childcare workers and no one is immune to the fatigue and steep learning that can take place. The most important things to remember are; You’re not alone, there are other parents and families just like you; It’s not your fault and it’s not anyone else’s fault either, your child will learn and continue to develop at a different rate and that’s okay, there are research-based supports that we offer.

If you don’t live near our speech pathology clinic, you can also access our services via telehealth. Please make a booking to access this service.