Expression Skills & Techniques
Our speech pathology services
Is your child able to communicate their true meaning?
Having trouble expressing thoughts and ideas clearly is a sign of expressive language (or expression) difficulties. Your child might have trouble finding the right word, using non-specific language like ‘thingy’ or ‘stuff.’ Their written work might be brief or incomplete, with short, simple sentences below what’s expected at their age. Maybe they find it hard to formulate sentences or questions or to tell a story clearly.
A speech language pathologist can work with your child to try to pinpoint the gaps in their expressive language and tailor evidence-based strategies to your child’s needs.
Written expression
Signs your child is having trouble with written expression include:
- Only using short or simple sentences
- Using incorrect words, missing words, or putting words in the wrong order
- Incorrect grammar or missing word endings, e.g. plurals or -ing, -ed
- Reduced vocabulary or non-specific language
- Trouble sequencing information in a story or information report.
Verbal expression
If your young child is using gestures more than words to communicate, this can be a sign of expressive language difficulties. Other signs include using short sentences, difficulties using the correct grammar or struggling to use the correct word for an action or an object.
For primary school-aged children they may have difficulty explaining word meanings, building longer sentences and using correct grammar, or they may struggle to think of the specific word to use instead overusing non-specific words like “thingy”, “that”, “stuff”. Putting longer chunks of language together, like is needed to tell news or to create a story can be hard.
Children with expressive language difficulties may also get frustrated because they can’t clearly explain what they mean or get their message across.
Therapy for expressive language difficulties
Following your child’s assessment, our therapist will tailor a plan to best meet your needs. This can include partnering with your child’s teacher as well as developing strategies to use at home to boost your child’s language skills and reinforce what they are learning in our sessions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Expressive language difficulties can affect a child’s ability to find the right words, construct grammatically correct sentences, tell stories in a logical sequence, or express their thoughts and feelings clearly. These difficulties may exist alongside good comprehension, meaning your child understands everything but struggles to put their own ideas into words. Causes can include developmental language disorder, processing speed differences, or word-finding difficulties. Speech therapy helps children develop strategies to organise and express their ideas more effectively.
Yes. Written expression relies on the same language skills as spoken expression, including vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and the ability to organise ideas logically. Children who struggle to express themselves verbally often have similar difficulties in writing. Speech pathologists can support both, helping children structure their ideas, expand their sentences, and develop the language skills that underpin clear written communication.
Most children begin combining two words around age 2 (for example, ‘more milk’ or ‘daddy go’). By age 3, children typically use three to four word sentences. By age 4 to 5, most children speak in sentences that are understood by unfamiliar listeners, use grammar that is mostly correct for their age, and can tell simple stories with a beginning, middle and end. If your child is significantly behind these expectations, an assessment can determine whether they have an expressive language delay and what support would help.