Speech and Language Early Intervention

Hudsonville Public Schools offers students who qualify direct speech therapy services based on individual student needs. The program also provides evaluations, home visits, and parent education for children.
Ages: 3 – 5 yrs
Helpful Hints on Speech and Language Development of 2-3 Year Olds
What should my child’s talking sound like?
- Says “hi” and “bye” in response to adults
- Imitates single words
- Asks “what’s that?”
- Says “no” to reject
- Says consonant vowel (at) and consonant vowel consonant combinations (hat)
- Beginning to consistently say /p, b, n, m, t, d, h, w/ but may continue to omit final consonant sounds, substitute sounds, or reduce blends (“poon” for spoon)
- Combines 2 words or more
- Names objects in your everyday life
What should my child’s comprehension be like?
- Identifies 5-10 body parts and clothing items
- Understands spatial concepts (in, off, out, of, under) and verbs (eating, sleeping)
- Understands “what’s that” and “where” questions within the immediate environment
- Follows simple commands
- Understands “yes/no” questions
- Identifies an object by its function (point to what you wear)
- Matches 4 colors
- Understands simple descriptives (wet, cold)
Helpful Hints on Speech and Language Development of 4 Year Olds
What should my child’s talking sound like?
- Combines at least 4 words in a sentence
- Intelligible speech with some developmental sound errors remaining
- Uses more complex vocabulary including: would/could, if/so/because
- Uses a variety of verb forms: present, past (regular and irregular), future
What should my child’s comprehension be like?
- Understands qualitative concepts (long, short, tall)
- Identifies simple shapes and follows directions with location concepts (front/back, beside)
- Understands “wh” questions (who, what, when, where, why)
- Understands function questions (What do we do with?)
- Sorts objects into categories and understands time concepts (day/night)
- Compares objects based on qualitative concepts (longest, pointed, thin)
- Understands and uses irregular plurals (sheep)
Helpful Hints on Speech and Language Development of 5 Year Olds
What should my child’s talking sound like?
- Mastery of speech sounds is typical with the exception of: th, ch, sh, r, s, z, j
- Formulates meaningful words and sentences and states similarities and differences between objects
- Uses all pronouns (I, she, him) and provides personal data upon request (full name, age)
- States location concepts: through, away, over
- Asks many “why”, “what”, and “how” questions to gain information
What should my child’s comprehension be like?
- Understands complex quantity concepts (half/whole, some/may, more/less)
- Understands temporal concepts (first, second, last)
- Understands time concepts (today, yesterday, tomorrow)
- Understands opposite concepts and understands “what happens if…” questions
- Understands comparatives and superlatives (heavy, heavier, heaviest)
- Indicates complex body parts (wrist, forehead)
- Understands passive voice (The boy was chased by the girl.)
- Identifies what objects do not belong in a category
Speech Sound Development Profile
Speech Sound Development Profile
This is an example of a developmental chart which displays when a child acquires certain speech sounds. Individual differences may occur:
Early Eight
- Sounds acquired around 3 years of age: p, b, m, n, w, h, d, y
Middle Eight
- Sounds acquired around 3-4 years of age: t, k, g, ng, f, v, ch, j
Late Eight
- Sounds acquired between 5 1/2 - 8 years of age: sh, th, s, z, l. r, zh
(Shriberg, 1993 and Lof, 2004 suggest a general progression in speech sound development.)
Please contact Joan Van Fossan, 616-797-0842, extension 19611 for more information.