ABSTRACT
A child's speech is considered to be delayed when his/her progress follows a normal pattern, but his/her speech sound acquisition is that of a younger child. If a child has speech problems, it is very important to refer him/her to a speech and language therapist who can discuss the difficulties. The difficulty the child has with particular sounds may depend on that sound's position within a word and on the sounds adjacent to it. Children need to be able to use language orally before they can be expected to produce it in written form. A useful reference which looks at the details of the different ways in which children use language can be found in the Appendix. Children with language difficulties can benefit greatly from developing their reading skills; this will provide them with a starting point from which comprehension and language use can be extended. Children with problems of short-term auditory memory will have difficulty with mental maths.
