If your child’s doctor recommends speech therapy, you may wonder what it is and how it works. The simple answer is that speech therapists (or “speech-language pathologists”) work with your child to develop their muscle control, mental skills relating to language, and the act of speaking itself.
Speech therapists will work with you to figure out which types of therapy your child needs. Read on to see the different types of speech therapy explained.
Why Does My Child Need Speech Therapy?
Your child’s doctor and speech therapist are the people best equipped to answer specific questions about your child’s needs. However, we can address some of the common reasons children require speech therapy. Some speech conditions are related to the following issues:
Injuries
Birth defects
Cognitive disabilities
Developmental delays
Depending on which kind of problem your child is having and its cause, the therapist will try different exercises. These activities may include word games, tongue and mouth exercises, journaling, and many other treatments that benefit your child.
Types of Speech Therapy
There are many different categories of speech therapy. We’ve chosen six categories to best explain the different types of speech therapy. Each one addresses a unique type of speech-related difficulty. However, it’s important to remember that many children need more than one kind of therapy in order to address all their needs.
Speech Fluency
The word fluency is closely related to the word “flow,” which is an excellent way of remembering what fluency is all about. Children with fluency problems have trouble speaking with the right flow of words.
The most common fluency disorder is stuttering. When a child stutters, they may struggle with a particular syllable that they can’t move past. Sometimes there are specific sounds that are hardest for children to speak fluently, but what stuttering looks like depends on the individual child. Stuttering can start for different reasons, but once it begins, it often becomes embarrassing for the person who has it. When a child reaches school age, stuttering can incite negative comments from other students. Without intervention, these issues can further contribute to struggles with speech fluency.
Speech Articulation
Articulation is the ability to pronounce words correctly. Children with articulation problems may have trouble making certain sounds (for example, saying “thwing” instead of “swing”). Typically, most children with articulation difficulties have trouble with specific sound combinations. Their therapist will be able to focus on those sounds and the muscle groups used to make them.
Language Comprehension
Problems with language comprehension include not being able to understand spoken or written language. This challenge usually manifests as difficulty following directions and listening. When a child has a comprehension issue, it’s not that they aren’t listening, but rather that their brain isn’t turning what other people say into applicable information.
One common condition that can include comprehension issues is aphasia. Aphasia usually happens because of brain trauma, and it may make it harder for a child to read, write, and listen. For those with this condition, it’s as if the mental roadways that help connect thoughts to language are broken. Fortunately, time a speech therapist can help.
Cognition and Communication
In addition to other speech and language problems, a child may also have trouble with certain mental functions that affect language. These skills include problem-solving, memory, and paying attention.
For example, a child who has suffered a brain injury may have language comprehension issues due to aphasia, but they may also have memory problems that complicate learning. Your child’s therapist will know how to address these issues both together and separately.
Voice and Volume
Voice and volume difficulties include problems with your child’s pitch, tone, and loudness when speaking. For example, some children may sound abnormally shrill when they speak, or they might have trouble speaking above a whisper.
Apraxia is a condition that can cause your child to have trouble controlling their voice. Essentially, your child knows what they’re trying to say, but it doesn’t come out the way they intend. They may need vocal exercises to develop their vocal cords, speech rhythm exercises, and help with forming shapes with their oral muscles.
Swallowing
If your child has trouble chewing and swallowing food correctly, they may also need help from a speech therapist. Even if speech isn’t the literal problem at hand, speech therapists are experts in how the muscles of the face and throat function together. They’re the perfect people to help your child learn to eat without difficulty.
Children with a cleft lip palate, cerebral palsy, or severe anxiety commonly have trouble swallowing food properly. The therapist will help them slow down, learn to chew their food properly, and increase their muscle control. For a time, they may recommend changing up the consistency of your child’s food while they learn to swallow safely.
Speech Therapy Activities To Try at Home
In addition to what your speech therapist recommends, there are some activities you can try with your child at home to help reinforce their skills. For example, if your child has trouble forming sounds or swallowing, you can make funny faces and ask your child to copy you. This activity will give them extra practice at stretching and controlling the muscles that are muscles essential for speech.
For kids who struggle to pronounce words correctly, you can turn speech practice into a game. Ask them to draw a picture of the word you want them to practice, then come up with sentences that use that word together. When your child finishes their picture, ask them to say their practice sentences. You can even repeat these sentences throughout the day.
Choosing Online Speech Therapy
Finding the right speech therapist for your child can be difficult, especially if you don’t live in a large city. Why not make things easier by choosing remote speech therapy? Linguabilities offers full speech therapy services from licensed professionals. All our sessions are online, meaning you never have to leave your home to take your child to their sessions. As long as you have a stable internet connection, your child can participate in speech therapy at home.
Doing speech therapy from home often makes kids more comfortable. After all, they don’t have to go to a strange building with bright fluorescent lights that remind them of visiting the doctor. Your child can bring a favorite stuffed animal and do whatever else they need to be comfortable. Contact us today to find out what kind of speech therapies we can offer your child.
