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When Can My Child Begin Receiving Speech & Language Services?

by Kim Knight on March 01, 2019

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Hey parents! Did you know that children can begin receiving speech and language services through the school as young as 3 years of age? Of course those children must meet the eligibility requirements set by the state, as do older students. However, it is my belief that the earlier a problem is diagnosed and treated, the better for the child—both for communication purposes as well as for later academic success.

I have to follow the criteria set by the State of Missouri in order to decide when a child should receive speech services. For example, by age 3, a child should be able to correctly say the “m” sound, “h” sound, “w” sound, “p” sound, and “b” sound. By age 3 years, 6 months, a child should be able to correctly say the “n” sound, “d” sound, “k” sound, and “f” sound when its at the beginning of words. By age 4, a child should be able to correctly say the “t” sound and “g” sound. By age 5, they should be able to say the “y” sound, and by age 5 years, 6 months they should be able to say the “f” sound at the end of words, “v” sound, and “tw” and “kw” clusters. Of course there are many other sounds that may develop later, and I can share those with you if you have a concern. If your child is not able to say these sounds by the above ages, please let me know, and we can discuss your concerns and set up a speech and language screening if needed. If you have a concern for your child, please feel free to contact me at any time.

We have finished with kindergarten and preschool roundup. We completed a lot of screenings this week. Parents will receive letters detailing results of the screenings in the upcoming weeks. If there are any concerns noted, we will contact you by telephone; however, if you have any questions once you receive your letter, please call and we would be happy to explain them further. We will be looking at all of our criterion for preschool and will notify parents as soon as we can to let you know whether your child will be in preschool for next year or not. However, because it is a long process, it may be close to the end of the school year when we notify you. We will do our best to make decisions as soon as possible.

Thanks for the work you are doing at home!

Kim Knight

Speech-Language Pathologist

(660) 947-3361 ext. 391