Questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Anderson Speech Therapy wants to provide you with as much information as we can within our scope of practice. Further, we recognize your dedication to playing a key role in your child’s development and success.
Are speech and language the same thing?
No
Speech is the physical process of forming words; language is what speech creates – the output or product.
Language – Language is what we speak, write, read, and understand. Language is also communicating through gestures (body language or sign language).
There are two specific areas of language:
- Receptive (what we hear and understand from others’ speech or gestures)
- Expressive (the words we use to create messages others will understand)
If a child’s receptive language doesn’t fully develop, the language learning process slows down before it ever begins.
If not, the child’s expressive language is not going to develop. This is why speech therapy focuses on strengthening a child’s receptive language, even if the concern is that the child isn’t talking properly.
If this is happening, Anderson Speech Therapy will find out if your child is hearing clearly and understanding language (receptive language) through an evaluation and we will work with you on creating goals and a plan to address those needs.
