While every child reaches developmental milestones at a different pace, toddlers who experience delayed speech and other communication issues might benefit from speech therapy. Young children who cannot clearly express themselves can easily become frustrated and struggle to learn new things or develop relationships. This could cause problems in preschool or kindergarten.
Early intervention is the key.
While the warning signs that your child might need speech therapy can be subtle, one early red flag you may notice is if your child can follow directions, but would rather gesture than verbalize a response. Here is a guide to what speech therapy can help your child achieve and the results you can expect.
What Does a Speech Therapist Do?
Speech therapists are highly trained professionals who help children and adults. Many speech therapists earn their bachelor’s degree in a subject like human anatomy, physiology, audiology, linguistics, psychology or neurology. They also complete a graduate-level program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, undergo fellowship training, and obtain licensure and certification.
Speech therapy can help your child overcome a speech impediment like mispronouncing certain sounds, not using many words, or not combining words into phrases and sentences. However, a pediatric speech therapist can also improve your child’s overall communications, auditory processing and social skills. Your child could benefit from working with a speech therapist if they have:
- Any developmental delays
- Difficulty with reading and writing
- Trouble chewing and swallowing.
Does Your Child Need Speech Therapy?
Various chronic illnesses, learning differences, and hearing problems can hinder a young child’s speech or language development. As a result, your child may have difficulty coordinating their tongue, lips, and mouth to make sounds or words.
Don’t panic if your child is slow to develop their language skills. A speech therapist can equip them (and you!) with the tools needed to become an effective communicator.
If your child is in speech therapy, you can help by talking and reading to them frequently, speaking clearly, and emphasizing correct pronunciation. Your speech therapist may also give you some exercises to perform at home to reinforce the lessons learned during their sessions.
How Does Pediatric Speech Therapy Work?
While it’s understandable to be concerned if your child has trouble pronouncing words, following simple directions, or articulating their needs, speech and language disorders are treatable. At Enablr Therapy, our experienced speech therapists offer fully customized sessions.
Sessions can include:
- Speech mechanics
- Word pronunciation
- Language use and understanding
- Feeding
- Social communication
- Voice fluency and quality
- Functional cognition and more.
We provide remote speech therapy for toddlers using a parent coaching model that equips you with the tools to promote speech in your family’s everyday activities and interactions. Flexible scheduling allows busy families like yours to access services on their own terms.
We’ll match you with a therapist best suited to your child’s needs and create a fully individualized treatment plan. When you choose our telehealth option, a trained therapist will meet with your child in one-on-one live video sessions at times that are convenient for you – even on weekends. Remote speech therapy offers the same quality and standard of care you can expect from in-person programming.
If you think your child may benefit from speech therapy, discover how easy it is to start working with Enablr Therapy by scheduling an assessment today.
