Blaed was still a tiny baby when he was diagnosed with Villo Cardio Facial syndrome, and mum Caroline said the diagnosis came with a warning that the youngster would face many difficulties in life, particularly with communication.

However many of those potential problems have been negated through Blaed spending many years working with a speech pathologist.

“It has helped build Blaed’s confidence,” Caroline said.

“It’s helped us immensely in the family.”

It was also something Blaed enjoyed, with Caroline saying the visits to speech pathologist Katrina Walsh were “his favourite thing to do every fortnight”.

Caroline said the speech pathology had helped improve Blaed’s organisational skills along with communication and comprehension.

Previously, “I could be talking and he could be nodding his head, but at times he had no idea what was going on,” Caroline said.

But by designing sessions to focus on Blaed’s interests, the speech pathology work had helped Blaed reach the situation where he could sit by himself and write a story, which he could not do just a year earlier.

In addition, “He’s a fantastic little reader now,” Caroline said.

“We had a really bad diagnosis to start with but he’s doing well now in a mainstream school,” she added.

Blaed’s improvements are among many being celebrated this week as part of Speech Pathology Week, focusing on the theme a nation for communication.

Ms Walsh said speech pathology could improve the lives of many people, not just those with challenges as large as Blaed.

“It is estimated that one in five people will experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives,” she said.

“This can range from mild to very severe and can impact on the way they participate in family life, the community, education and the workplace.

“Sadly, many people with a communication disorder suffer in silence.”

Ms Walsh said speech disorders did not just affect the young, as at least 30 per cent of people who had suffered a stroke experienced a loss of language, while 85 per cent of people with Parkinson’s Disease experienced voice, speech and swallowing difficulties.

As part of Speech Pathology Week Ms Walsh is running a drop-in inquiry session from 10.30am to 12.30pm tomorrow (Thursday) at 190 Princes Highway, Ulladulla.