As a parent, you might be wondering what can your child gain from attending speech and language therapy sessions; what makes this different from school lessons or other academic activities. In this article, we will be listing down a few benefits that your child may acquire from attending speech therapy sessions. Keep in mind that speech and language interventions are planned according to the problem areas of each child.
You can expect an improvement in the social skills of your child. One of the main areas speech therapists work on is social skills. They help children in improving their ability to socialize with other people. They target how to initiate, maintain, and terminate conversations, turn-taking, understand emotions, and more.
Another benefit is better communication skills. Speech therapy also involves training children in learning and understanding different vocabulary and concepts, answering questions, following instructions, and other higher language skills. Furthermore, it also tackles expression of self, clear and correct pronunciation of speech sounds and words, and more.
Some people assume that communication is only done through verbal means. They fail to recognized that there are many ways to communicate nowadays without using our voice and oral structures. We can use different devices, may it be high-tech or low-tech, to communicate. For some children whose expressive verbal skills are not feasible, alternative modes of communication are provided. We call this “Alternative Augmentative Communication” devices that aids children and adults in communicating more effectively without the requirement of vocalizations.
Communication is an essential life skill needed for a person’s day-to-day functions. Without communication, participation of an individual in societal activities (e.g., getting a job, school performance, developing relationships, etc.) are restricted. With the help of speech therapy, communication is made more effective leading to an improved quality of life and more opportunities to be involved in society.
While we list down some of the benefits of speech therapy, here are some important things to keep in mind as parents:
- If you notice that your child has speech delay, seek help early.
- Speech therapy is time-consuming. It is important to remember that progress does not happen instantly. Like many things, it takes time for your children to learn, develop, and maintain the skills.
- Speech therapy requires a lot of effort, not just from your therapist, but the parents as well. The children will usually have an hour for two or three times per week with the Speech Therapist, the rest are spent with their parents. Parents must acknowledge the important roles they play in the intervention journey of their child.
- Following up on activities at home, involving your child in family routines, or simply even talking with you child makes a world of a difference.
For further information, please consult your Speech Therapist or Pediatrician.