Parents
often find themselves asking this question as they begin to see their child
compared to other children. As
speech therapists,
we frequently hear comments such as these:
"An older sibling learned to talk earlier."
"A neighbor's child speaks more clearly."
"A neice was able to put sentences together at this age."
It is very common to have a wide range of acceptable
abilities and skills among children of similiar age.
But if you, as their parent,
begin to feel that there is a significant difference between the speech patterns of your child and those of other children their age,
it may be time to seek out the advice and assistance of a
trained speech therapist.
We use both formal and informal techniques to carefully compare your child's speech skills with those of their peers. We then provide you with recommendations for a therapy program involving our center and your home.
Please keep in mind that the earlier your child begins speech therapy, the better your chances are of closing this developmental gap.
Speech Therapy is the art of analyzing a child's ability to use language, speak clearly and communicate basic wants and needs.
A
speech therapist
will determine where on the developmental spectrum the child falls.
This is done with formalized tests that often involve parent report.
Formal testing can not always be completed, particularly when the child is very young, unfamiliar with the therapist or easily distracted.
Whether a child can tolerate formal testing or not, we always
incorporate play
into our testing and therapy sessions.
This structured play
allows the child to feel comfortable, gives the therapist the
opportunity to observe the child in a natural context and provides a wealth of
information as to how the child interacts with toys and objects.
By using formal and informal tests and
structured play techniques,
an initial measure of the child's communication skills can be obtained to determine an optimal plan for therapy.
That plan continues to be adjusted as the child responds to therapy and as their speaking skills improve.
We also teach parents how to use all of the techniques we use in our treatment sessions and encourage them to start a home exercise program with their child. The child's ability to use new skills outside of treatment sessions is called "carryover". With
consistent parental reinforcement, carryover occurs faster.
Previous newsletters
- Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1, June 2004
Welcome, Oral Motor Exercises, Parent support groups and workshop announcements.
- Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 2, August 2004
When to start speech therapy, Oral Motor Exercises, Parent support groups and workshop announcements.
Most Popular
- Capable Kids
Pediatric Therapy Center - Having Speech Therapy,
Physical Therapy and
Occupational Therapy
available under the same roof gives us the ability to schedule co-treatments or back-to-back
appointments for your convenience.
Follow the link below to view the wonderfully skilled therapies available at
Capable Kids and
schedule an appointment today!
www.CapableKidsNJ.com
- Professional Links
- Beckman Oral Motor
The PROMPT Institute
Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson's Talk Tools
Interactive Metronome (IM)
- Lynn's Tied
Together Hub - Lynn's Tied Together Hub focuses exclusively on Adult tongue tie/tethered oral tissues and has many resources for you to access check out the blog today at
https://lynnstiedtogetherhub.com/blog/
- Right Starts Occupational Therapy
- Right Starts Occupational Therapy is our go to recommendation for all tings OT - Right to the Root Right to the Healing. Creating Accelerated Pathways to Healing for the Whole Family Through Traditional and Holistic Therapies.
https://rightstartsot.com/