Children have disorders and delays with speech, language, hearing, and communication for a number of reasons. Often children have a combined speech, language and literacy delay. All of these areas of learning, whether it be an isolated problem, or a combination of problems, can cause the child immense frustration and often unhappiness. However, with the right guidance and input most children can make good progress with speech, language and literacy skills.

This section of the website has 4 parts:

• Speech difficulties, delays and disorders – this section will cover phonological difficulties, speech difficulties, dyspraxia, stammering, cleft palate and structural difficulties, articulation difficulties, dysarthria, voice and selective mutism. Through the use of videos and links to more detailed information, icommunicate will provide activities and strategies to facilitate all children to overcome their difficulties.

• Language difficulties and delays – many children have difficulties understand and/or expressing language. This section will focus on expressive and receptive language difficulties, and specific language impairment

• Literacy difficulties – some children have difficulties with reading and writing, and often these children also have a problem with speech and language. icommunicate will provide strategies and activities to facilitate children with literacy difficulties as well as taking an holistic approach by looking at activities that can benefit speech, language and literacy together.

• Hearing impairment – this section will focus on all forms of hearing impairment and give guidance and information on hearing aid equipment as well as ideas, activities and strategies to help the hearing impaired child with communication.