Errors in the productions of speech sounds (phonemes)

Disruptions on the forward progression of speech including part-word/sound repetitions, blocks (sounds getting “stuck”), and inappropriate prolongation of particular speech sounds during connected speech

Predictable rule-based sound error patterns that affect more than one phoneme (e.g., Final Consonant Deletion, Fronting, Stopping)

Using non-verbal (body language, facial expressions, personal space) and verbal communication appropriately for a variety of social functions including: initiating, maintaining and terminating conversation and play with others, expressing emotions, problem solving and navigating social relationships with peers.

Play includes engaging, both interpersonally (solitary play) and intrapersonally (play with others), using age-appropriate skills including parallel, associative, representational, pretend, cooperative and constructive play. Play can be unstructured or structured.

Difficulty understanding verbal, written and non-verbal language (signs and gestures).

Difficulty using spoken, written and non-verbal language to communicate wants, needs, thoughts and ideas to others.

Difficulty recognizing, interpreting or understanding language and auditory information, despite normal hearing. This is a neurological issue that may impact skills including attention, memory, following directions, learning and sometimes reading and spelling.

When a child is not meeting speech and language developmental milestones by age-appropriate expectations.

Difficulty identifying, hearing, and/or manipulating sounds within a word, identifying/labeling sound-letter correspondence, and segmenting and blending sounds. These skills are building blocks to reading and writing.