Learning to Speak and Listen - what to expect in the first five years Please read the Important Notice at the end of this Fact Sheet.
Many parents wonder if children's language and listening skills are developing normally.
While individual children develop their talking and listening skills at different rates, there is a general pattern to children's language development. They work in a variety of settings including schools, health centres, hospitals or in private practice. Contact a speech pathologist if you are worried about your child's speech or language, if your child sounds quite different from the ages and stages outlined above, or if your child's teacher is concerned. Most speech pathologists belong to Speech Pathology Australia, which is the official body representing speech pathologists, the professionals who work with and advocate for people who have a communication disability. References References used to create this Fact Sheet.