When parents come to me for speech therapy, they come with guilt and most of them are crushed. They feel like they have let their child down.
I want to start by saying, ‘It’s not your fault. Your coming here is proof that you care for your child and want to work on the problem (if there is one).’
What To Expect From your Speech Therapist?
As an occupational therapist, I have come across parents who don’t know what to expect from your speech therapist. If you have an upcoming appointment with a speech therapist, and want to prepare yourself for it, here’s a rundown of what you should expect from your speech therapist:
Why go to a Speech Therapist
In many cases, it is the parent’s concern regarding their child’s speech development that brings them to a speech therapist. They see their friend’s children quite far ahead with their vocabulary compared to their own child. They talk to their pediatrician who then recommends them to a speech therapist.
In some cases, the child’s daycare teacher or the health visitor tells you there is a problem and you book an appointment with your speech therapist.
The first thing you should know about what to expect from your speech therapist is that it might take weeks to get an appointment. Meanwhile, you can do a few activities on your own to promote your child’s speech:
- Ask simple questions with visual aids, ‘Apple or banana?’
- Build on his existing vocabulary by adding in one or two words. For instance, if he says mama or dada, add in words like tired mama or happy dada.
- Keep talking to him. Even when it feels like your child is not understanding what you are saying, he is building up his receptive vocabulary.
The Initial Meetup
The first time you meet with the speech therapist, you will probably have to fill a form. This form will basically be lots of questions regarding your child and some about your family. Some common questions you will be asked to answer are:
- What’s the problem with the child? Does he listen? How does he respond?
- Is he facing challenges with other developmental milestones?
- The family makeup and how speech delay is affecting the family dynamics?
- What was the child’s weight at birth?
- Was he born on term?
- Does anyone else in the family exhibit speech delay issues?
And while you are filling out the form, your speech therapist will do an initial evaluation of your child. That usually happens in a child-friendly space with lots of toys. The therapist will encourage the child to play with the toys and interact with him during that playtime.
Ask Questions
This is probably the most important thing you should be doing. Ask questions after the initial evaluation. Ask them what the issue is. Discuss your worries. Develop a timeline for the therapy. You should also be asking your speech therapist, what strategies you should adopt at home while the speech therapy continues.
After the initial assessment, your speech therapist will explain the issue. They will lay down a plan to help with your child’s speech development. An action plan will be recommended based on the assessment. They would be working on any of the three speech development issues:
- Articulation issues: Unclear speech or words. This is when your child cannot pronounce alphabets properly.
- Fluency issues: This includes stuttering or the inability to meet speech fluency milestones.
- Voice issues: Problems with pitch, voice quality, and volume.
What To Expect During the Speech Therapy sessions?
If you opt to continue with speech therapy after the issue has been diagnosed, then you will be asked to visit the speech therapist on a regular basis.
The sessions would be like the one as the initial meetup. Only now your speech therapist will have an action plan tailored for your child and his speech issues. Some speech therapist like to meet with the child without the parent in attendance during the sessions. Discuss this with your therapist before you book your sessions.
If you are allowed to stay in the sessions, observe the interactions closely. Try to mimic them at home. Set aside 10-15 minutes each day for this. If you aren’t allowed to stay in the sessions, ask your therapist for homework to do with your child. Get recommendations for activities and toys to try out.
How will Speech Therapy help?
With most kids, speech delays cause a lot of frustration. They are unable to communicate their demands. This upsets them a lot. And their frustrations cause their parents to feel stressed out.
If that’s happening with you, then understand that even a few months with a speech therapist can be very beneficial for your child. It will help with their speech. And this will build up their confidence and self-esteem.
Speech Therapy helps your child’s emotional, academic and social development.
I hope this article will answer your questions on what to expect from your speech therapist, If you notice your child struggling and are concerned, please reach out to set up a free consultation. I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
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If you enjoyed reading What to Expect From Your Speech Therapist, you might also enjoy reading:
My Child Isn’t Talking Yet: When To Be Concerned?
Building Your Preschooler’s Vocabulary
