NEWS

  • Thank you Sponsors and Supporters
      It takes the community to ensure all of our young children have the best start in life.  Many thanks go out to the many organizations, groups and volunteers who participated in the Campbell River Children’s Health Fairs this year on...

  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; the Invisible Disability!
        We typically acknowledge that life creates challenges for people with mobility impairments or visible developmental disabilities, but what about people who live with an invisible brain difference such as FASD?  Fetal Alcohol...

  • Child Care Concerns? PacificCARE Can Help!
      Looking for child care can often be a daunting task; there are so many different sources of information that may not always be the most reliable. While internet search engines, social media sites and even classified internet ads may seem...

  • 10th Anniversary of early childhood development partnership: Success By 6
      Research has shown that the first six years of life lays the foundation for a person’s life. A unique provincial partnership that bases its work on this principle is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Success by 6 helps to ensure that...
more

EVENTS

Child Development
Checklists

2 months
4 Months
6 Months
9 Months
18 Months
24 Months
3 Years
4 Years
5 Years

Information

Dental
Nutrition
Vision
Speech
Special Needs
Post Partum

Your Child’s Speech

When can my baby first understand me? 
Long before your baby utters his first word, he's learning the rules of language.  That’s why talking to your baby from the beginning is so important. Keep in mind that your voice may also mean “comfort” for your young one.  Many researchers believe a baby begins to know the sound of her parent’s voice while still in utero.

My baby is not talking yet, how can I tell if her speech is on track? 
See “A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Speech,” for an easy-to-use “Communication Checklist for Birth to Age Five.” (Click here for a link.) Even babies as young as 7 months can understand some words. Babies start using their first words at about 12 months of age. It’s never too early to check and see if your baby’s speech is on track.

My child started to use words but now he’s stopped.  Should I be concerned? 
Yes, this might be a signal that your child’s speech needs attention. To be safe, contact your speech language pathologist at Sunrise Resources (250-286-0955) and have your child checked. The earlier speech difficulties are caught, the easier they are to correct.

I’m the only one who can understand my 4-year-old daughter’s talk.  Should I have her checked? 
Yes, be sure to contact your speech language pathologist at Sunrise Resources (250-286-0955) and have your child screened. Because parents are so accustomed to their child’s speech, they may not notice that their child can’t say certain sounds and regularly says things like “ea-ut" for “peanut.”

For more information on your child’s speech:

http://www.parentlinkalberta.ca/publish/920.htm

  • Contact the speech language pathologists at Sunrise Resources for Early Childhood Development in Campbell River at 250-286-0955.
  • Contact audiologist Nancy Tremel at the Courtenay Public Health Unit 250-338-6555.
  • Contact the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists 1-800-259-8519 or visit www.caslpa.ca for the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Guide: A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Speech, or click here
  • Parents of school age children can access speech-language pathology services through their child's teacher.

Thank you to Gayle MacLean, Layne Hammond, Suzanne MacDonald, Nancy Tremel and School District 72 Student Services for their expertise in helping develop the “Your Child’s Speech” pages.