After months of concern about your child’s speech skills and language development, you talk to their pediatrician and receive a referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP). An evaluation reveals that your child needs weekly speech therapy sessions. Great! You’re excited to get them the help they need and see them make progress. But wait, what exactly is speech therapy?
In today’s blog post, I want to take a closer look at what you can expect during speech therapy for your child.
If you have a number of questions before you get started, know that you’re not alone! Common questions include: What happens during a typical session? Will I participate in the sessions? Will we have “homework” in between sessions? What skills will my child focus on learning? How long will my child need speech therapy?
Before you begin, it’s important to establish clear goals, both long term and short term. Long-term goals are those “bigger picture” hopes — like improving your child’s expressive language skills to a level that is age-appropriate. Your SLP will often estimate the time it takes to reach these goals, like six months to a year.
Short-term goals, then, are the smaller building blocks that help your child accomplish their long-term goals. Examples of short-term goals include understanding words, articulating a certain sound, or using a grammatical marker. Therapists usually hope to see these goals achieved for three sessions in a row before moving on.
Your child’s speech therapy sessions, then, are tailored to these goals.
Once your child’s sessions begin, their SLP may work with them one-on-one, in small groups, or even directly in their classroom to help them overcome real-world challenges. A variety of strategies may be used, including:
- Language activities: These tasks may involve playing and talking or using pictures, books, or objects to build speech and language skills. The therapist often models correct pronunciation and uses repetitive exercises during this time. For older children, activities can also be geared towards social skills (like initiating play or expanding in conversations) as well as reading and listening comprehension.
- Articulation therapy: Articulation exercises (also called sound production exercises) help your child focus on the correct sounds and syllables for words. This work is often done during play, allowing the therapist to physically show your child how to make certain sounds – sometimes even with a mirror!
- Feeding and swallowing therapy: If chewing or swallowing is difficult for your child, the SLP can use a variety of oral exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. Your child’s therapist may also work with different food temperatures and textures to increase child’s awareness during eating and swallowing.
Chances are, you’ll have activities to practice at home in between sessions. However, if your therapist doesn’t suggest homework, be sure to ask for resources and tips to help encourage your child. As a parent, you ultimately spend the most time with your child — making you their best teacher! The more you can do to support your child’s therapy, the more likely you are to improve your child’s speech and language skills.
When it comes to speech therapy, remember that early intervention is key. If you notice your child struggling with clear words, repeated speech errors, stuttering, or social interactions, it is always worth reaching out for help.
At the Center for Rising Minds, we’d love to help you and your family with your mental health care needs! Please reach out to us today to inquire about our services or join our waitlist.
