Welcome to the first edition of "Straight Talk" published by the London Speech and Language Centre. Our centre provides therapy services for children and adults with communication impairments. Kerry Erle, Director, and Speech-Language Pathologist established this center in 1987.

The centre employs a full-time speech-language pathologist, communicative disorders assistants, and academic tutors. Let us introduce ourselves to you. 

Ask the Expert: Common Questions

Question: How old should my child be before they are seen by a Speech-Language Pathologist?

Answer: A child is never too young to be seen by a Speech-Language Pathologist. Infants learn to communicate before they begin to speak. Infants who have swallowing difficulties, syndromes or developmental delays may be followed by a Speech-Language Pathologist when they are newborns. Speech and language delays can occur without any other presenting problems. If you suspect a delay in your child’s ability to communicate, contact a Speech-Language Pathologist. Here are some guidelines for normal speech/language development:

By age 1 - a child begins to use single words (i.e. "Mama", "Dada") and understands simple commands i.e. "sit down")

By age 2 - a child uses two-word sentences (i.e. "Mommy go") and understands longer commands (i.e. "Get your coat on and bring it here.")

By age 3 - a child is understood 80% of the time by strangers and uses 3-4 word combinations.

What’s New?

The London Speech and Language Centre is proud to present.....

Saturday Group Therapy Program for children between the ages of 3-6 and 7-10. Children who participate in this unique program receive an assessment and individual programming focusing on specific speech, language, social interaction, reading or writing goals. The group runs throughout the year and each group is limited to eight children.

Free "More Than Just Talking Workshop" for parents and Early Childhood Educators.

Come learn about pre-school speech and language development, suggestions for improving speech and language skills and where to go to get help! Look in the local "Access" library program or contact the London Speech and Language Centre for more details.

Kids Corner

The Importance of Communication

Communication is the #1 predictor of academic and vocational success. Those who learn to be good communicators are the most well-liked, do well in school and climb the corporate ladder. Parents, care givers, and those involved in a child’s life have an important task in helping our children become competent communicators.

What can we do?

Provide opportunities for you and your child to communicate. Always talk to your child.

Use language that is one step above your child’s language skills. For example, if your child is using mainly two-word sentences, use three-word sentences.

Make communicating fun! Play silly games, and sing songs that your child enjoys.

Expose your child to other children. Join play groups or library groups.

Stuttering - What does this word mean?

The Development of Stuttering in Children

Stuttering can develop in preschool children between the ages of two and six. It usually develops at the same time that children learn language, rules of grammar and speech sounds.

Many children experience short periods (several weeks) of disfluency in their attempt to coordinate all the muscles involved in speaking while attempting to express their thoughts. However, if a child continues to be disfluent for a prolonged period of time (i.e. over a month), contact a Speech-Language Pathologist. A Speech-Language Pathologist can assess a child to determine the nature of the problem and provide appropriate recommendations.

Lost in a World of Words - Learning Disabilities

Early Ways to Predict Poor Readers:

Children who read well, do well in school.

Research shows that children who have difficulty reading often have underlying speech and language problems.

New research from the Boston University and Emerson College in Boston suggests that a child’s performance on certain language tests may predict later reading problems. They included understanding complex sentences such as "The boy who kissed the girl ran away", selecting missing words from sentences, i.e., "The girl decorated the _____ tree (Christmas, big, blue) and being able to recall the words rapidly.

What can I do? If you suspect a speech or language delay, contact a Speech-Language Pathologist. Early intervention is important and effective in improving a child’s communication skills. An assessment is the only way to know if your child’s speech and language skills are developing within the expected range or if they are delayed.

The Hidden Hurt - Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Some Important Facts about Brain Injury

TBI is the #1 killer and disabler of young Canadians under the age of 40, with the majority being young men between the ages of 15 and 30. Every year in Canada, over 5,000 children will be seriously injured.

The Ripple Effect of TBI

An injury to the brain can affect any areas including: Cognition:(how a person thinks) short and long-term memory loss, difficulty with judgment and concentration, communication skills, planning and spatial disorientation.

Physical: seizures, muscle spasticity, vision, hearing, sense of smell, taste loss, speech impairment, headaches and fatigue.

Psycho social/Behavioural/Emotional: anxiety, depression, mood swings, denial, sexual difficulties, emotional liability, impulsivity, disinhibition, agitation, and isolation.

These changes can have a negative impact on the injured person’s life as well as his family members. Speech-Language Pathologists provide rehabilitation therapy for these clients to try to get them back into the world from which they came before they were struck by ...

Shop Talk - Leadership Skills for the Work Place:

If you must find fault- begin with praise and honest appreciation.

Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly, by demonstrating the preferred method yourself.

A store owner used to take a tour of his store everyday. One day, he saw a customer waiting while the sales clerks talked in the corner. The store owner waited on the customer and handed the sales clerk the package to be wrapped as he went on his way.

Ask questions instead of giving orders.

Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

Thought for the Day

You are not well dressed until you put on a smile!