May is Speech and Hearing Month, and the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is urging residents to get their child help if they’re struggling with language.
Susan Healey, the organization’s Communications Coordinator, says the pandemic has put kids at a higher risk of developing speech problems.
The Health Unit offers a free online “Language Express Communication Checkup” you can fill out to get a sense of your child’s development.
If the checkup reveals any possible problem areas, you can get a free referral to the Health Unit’s Language Express program.
“Language Express provides speech and language assessment and therapy services for young children in Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville counties,” Healey explains. “Services are free and are available from birth until Junior Kindergarten.”
The deadline for referrals to the program is September 1st of the year your child will enter Junior Kindergarten.