The BIG question: What is speech therapy (ST) and how can it

Pediatric Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a treatment designed to help individuals improve their communication skills, including speech, language, and swallowing. For children, speech therapy can help with a variety of communication challenges, such as speech sound disorders, language delays, stuttering, and social communication difficulties.

A healthcare provider may recommend speech therapy if there are:

1) delayed communication skills

2) decreased oral motor skills or swallowing difficulties

3) delayed communication skills that the child may benefit from an AAC device to facilitate communication of wants and needs

*Your child MAY or MAY NOT have a diagnosis and be recommended for services. We treat the child in front of us, not according to a label or a protocol.

Your child may be recommended to receive ST if there are:

Delays in speech development such as struggling to pronounce words clearly or having difficulty forming sentences. Speech therapy can help them learn how to make sounds correctly and improve speech clarity

Difficulties with overall language skills including trouble understanding or using language—whether in terms of vocabulary, sentence structure, or following directions—speech therapy can teach them how to use language more effectively in conversation and other contexts

If your child struggles with social communication skills such as understanding body language, taking turns in conversation, or making eye contact

Difficulties with fluency/stuttering, such as your child stutters or has difficulty with the flow of speech

Difficulties with cognitive-communication skills including attention, memory, and problem-solving, which are essential for effective communication

Speech therapy is tailored to your child's specific needs, and therapists often use play-based techniques, visual aids, and other engaging methods to make learning fun and effective.

If you notice signs of delayed or unclear speech, difficulty following instructions, or trouble interacting with others, seeking speech therapy early can help your child catch up and develop essential communication skills.

Who performs pediatric speech therapy?

A pediatric speech language pathologist (SLP) is a highly trained healthcare professional with a specialty in pediatrics and child development. They require a Master's Degree in Speech Therapy from a university, are nationally certified and state-licensed and report to a credentialing board. Pediatric speech therapists can work in hospitals, homes, clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools and work with people of all ages.

The ST profession also encompasses Speech Language Pathologist Assistants (SLPAs) who operate under an STs evaluation and goals and are supervised by a speech therapist. SLPA’s complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited program and are also licensed and report to a credentialing board.

All STs and SLPAs are required to continually take educational courses to keep up with effective interventions and relevant advancement of research.

What does an ST evaluation look like?

The first visit is an evaluation. During this session, your child’s therapist will use a scored assessment that reviews your child’s skills compared to average skills at their age.

The ST will then observe your child’s behavior and communication skills as they play within the clinic. Examples of what the speech therapist and your child might do during this first speech therapy visit include:

Play
Assessment of oral motor skills
Assess need for an AAC device
Assess swallowing when eating or drinking

Your child’s therapist will also ask you about their daily habits, communication needs, your concerns about your child’s development and if you have any questions about what to expect. This initial session can take an hour to complete.

What does an ST treatment session look like?

After the evaluation, your child may come back on a weekly basis for up to 6 months for 1:1 individual sessions, lasting 30 mins, that focus on reaching goals determined from the evaluation. These sessions are designed to be child-led, enjoyable, meaningful and fun for your child while supporting their skill development in various activities.

Parents are encouraged but not required to stay in the session. Your therapist will give you feedback, recommendations and homework each session to continue your child's progress at home between sessions.

That's it!