In this episode, Rhonda Meyers talks with speech-language pathologist Jodie Saba about how children develop communication, when a delay is worth watching and what parents can do to support communication development.
The worry that your child isn’t developing “normally” is so real.
And few areas of development can cause anxiety like speech and language.
In this episode, Rhonda Meyers talks with speech-language pathologist Jodie Saba about how children develop communication skills, when a delay is worth watching and what parents can do to support communication development.
Jodie breaks down the difference between speech, language and communication, three terms parents and teachers often use interchangeably. She also points out how working memory plays a big role in a child’s communication and executive functioning skills. 
Parents know their child best, and Jodie encourages them to seek out answers if they think something isn’t quite right.
[00:23:20] "I am not a fan of the “wait and see” [strategy], and one of my biggest reasons why is because I believe that parents should trust in their gut instinct."
Jodie explains that normal development happens across a range rather than a single milestone, and she shares the LEARN acronym for noticing real causes for concern. 
[00:33:35] "Observe your child. You know your child so well, but when we stop and we're present with those observations, we can really learn a lot because we're focused in on it."
Jodie and Rhonda also talk through how teachers can raise a concern to parents with love and care, and why asking questions about your child is never the same as assuming something is wrong.

Is My Child's Communication On Track?

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