This service uses play and educational activities to provide your child with communication skills
and overall functional independence. If your child qualifies, he/she can be seen for a maximum of 3 hours per week, although
this usually not the case. Average recommended treatment is anywhere from 90-120 minutes per week.
What Is Speech-Language Therapy?
Speech-language therapy is the treatment for most children with speech and/or language disorders.
A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding
or putting words together to communicate ideas.
Speech Disorders and Language Disorders
Speech disorders include the following problems, according to Diane Paul-Brown, PhD, director
of clinical issues in speech-language pathology at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):
Articulation disorders
include difficulties producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that other people can't understand what's
being said.
- Fluency disorders include problems such as stuttering, the condition in which the flow of speech is interrupted by abnormal
stoppages, repetitions (st-st-stuttering), or prolonging sounds and syllables (ssssstuttering).
- Resonance or voice disorders include
problems with the pitch, volume, or quality of a child's voice that distract listeners from what's being said. These types of disorders
may also cause pain or discomfort for the child when speaking.
- Language disorders can be either receptive or expressive. Receptive
disorders refer to difficulties understanding or processing language. Expressive disorders include difficulty putting words together,
limited vocabulary, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way.
When Is Therapy Needed?
Children require speech-language therapy for a variety of reasons, including:
- hearing impairments
- cognitive
(intellectual; thinking) or other developmental delays
- weak oral muscles
- birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate
- autism
- motor
planning problems
- respiratory problems (breathing disorders)
- swallowing disorders
- traumatic brain injury
Therapy should begin as soon
as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early in their development (younger than 3 years) tend to have better outcomes than children
who begin therapy later. This does not mean that older children can't make progress in therapy; they may progress at a slower rate
because they often have learned patterns that need to be modified or changed.
