ABSTRACT
The normal pattern of speech and language development was outlined and the many varied aspects of human communication were described in Chapter 2. When the complexity of the speech and language system is considered, it is amazing that the majority of children manage to enter school with communication skills that enable them to cope with the demands of school life. Even if some of these children were slow to acquire language initially, they will usually have 'caught up' in the preschool years. There are, however, other children whose poor speech and language skills are a cause of anxiety to their parents and to the professionals who care for them, both before and after school entry.
