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Expert Q & A

Top : Speech and Language Issues : My daughter is about to start kindergarten, but has trouble being understood by people when she talks. What can I do to help her?

by Paige Curry
Speech/Language Pathologist
 		Paige Curry

Question:


My daughter is about to start kindergarten, but has trouble being understood by people when she talks. What can I do to help her?



Answer:


By the time a child is 3-years-old, a stranger should be able to understand pretty much everything she says. Children of this age may still have occasional errors in their speech, but on the whole a person who is unfamiliar with her can still understand her well. I think you need to have your child evaluated by a Speech Pathologist. The public school system offers speech therapy to children even before they are old enough to start school. The therapist can do an evaluation of the speech pattern your child uses and teach her how to use her tongue, teeth and lips in the correct placement to say the sounds that are in error. The school board offers these evaluations and therapy even for children who attend private schools, although you will probably have to take your child to the local public school to get these services. You can also check your local Yellow Pages or area hospitals for pediatric speech therapy services. Good luck!

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