ABSTRACT
Many young children enrolled in childcare facilities may have received speech or language impairment diagnoses at an early age. The development of language in a child with a language delay is believed to follow the same patterns seen in children with typical language development; however the development of language is protracted, with the child reaching the same milestones at a slower rate. Physical impairments may involve cleft lip or palate. Many children with hearing loss also exhibit speech and/or language impairments. The communication mode selected depends on the abilities of the speaker. Family members and teachers often search for charts of guidelines that indicate typical language development. When children have speech or language impairments, teachers, families, and speech-language pathologists need to work together to improve children’s opportunities to interact with others, participate in play settings, and develop friendships with classmates and peers outside the family group.
