Tips to Help Your Child Succeed in Speech Therapy
Posted on: 16 June 2021
Many young children have speech impediments and articulation disorders. If your child's speech is lagging behind his or her peers of similar age, your child's pediatrician may recommend a speech screening with a speech-language pathologist. Depending on the results, speech therapy may be needed to help improve your child's speech. In speech therapy, your child will work with a speech-language pathologist to reach his or her individual goals. As a parent, there are things that you can do to assist your child. Use the following tips to help your child succeed in speech therapy.
Take Time to Practice at Home
Your child may receive speech therapy at school or through a private practice. But they most likely won't spend more than an hour or two a week with their speech therapist. If you want your child to get the most out of speech therapy, it is in your best interest to be proactive and help your child practice at home. Talk to your child's speech therapist — they will be able to recommend exercises that can be done at home, as well as provide you with additional resources. Practicing with your child at home will help improve their speech greatly.
Focus on the Positives
Having a speech impediment or articulation disorder can be stressful for a child. When your child is in speech therapy, one of the best things that you can do is focus on the positives instead of the negatives. For example, don't point out when your child makes a mistake when speaking. Instead, praise your child when they meet a goal, such as mastering the "sh" sound. Positive reinforcement will make speech therapy a more enjoyable experience for your child, and it will also help them feel less self-conscious or frustrated.
Be Patient
Speech therapy is not an instant fix, and you should not expect results right away. Depending on the severity of your child's speech impediment or articulation disorder, speech therapy may be needed for several years. As a parent of a child in speech therapy, it is important to be patient. One thing that you can do is stay in touch with your child's speech therapist so you can know when your child meets new goals — this will help you see the progress that they are making in speech therapy.
Contact a pathologist near you to learn more about speech-language therapy and how it can help your child.
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