It’s normal for children to have difficulties in speaking, such as pronunciation or putting coherent sentences together, but sometimes it’s difficult to know if your child’s development in their ability to communicate is progressing at a normal pace, or whether they are experiencing some issues that could become more serious if left untreated. In such cases, the expertise of a skilled speech therapist can be of great value.
Speech therapy – also known as speech pathology – is practised by university qualified speech-language pathologist (S-LP) clinicians who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of various communication disorders relating to language, speech, swallowing, voice and resonance, and fluency.
Issues Addressed by Speech Therapy
Your child may benefit from speech therapy if he or she experiences issues such as:
- Difficulty being understood by others
- Understanding or comprehending what others say
- frustration over difficulties in expressing themselves clearly and making themselves understood
- feeding difficulties arising from physical abnormalities such as a cleft palate
- stuttering
- reading difficulties
- intellectual disabilities which require finding alternative methods of communication
A wide variety of factors can be the cause of communication disorders in children, such as developmental delays, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, congenital disorders, hearing impairments and neurological impairments. Speech pathologists can also specialise in complex needs cases, such as autistic children or cerebral palsy.
Speech therapy addresses difficulties with expressive or receptive language, functional communication skills, oral motor feeding issues, and can be done one-or-one or in a group setting.
Speech therapists often operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team consisting of different specialists such as psychologists and occupational therapists.
What Does a Speech Therapy Session Involve?
Speech therapy typically involves firstly assessing your child’s level of ability, and then designing a tailored program to assist them to develop or improve the skills and abilities they need. In a speech therapy consultation, the speech therapist may ask questions regarding your child’s communication difficulties, but also his or her medical history, development, and also your family’s history of communication disorders. They may also conduct an assessment to gauge your child’s ability to understand instructions and questions, and listen to them speak.
