What is Speech Therapy, exactly?
Speech therapy involves techniques and activities that improve overall communication. They address delays and disorders in expressive/receptive language, expression, speech, and swallowing as well as feeding.
Speech therapy Brisbane offers speech therapy for children of all ages. Our speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists or speech-language pathologists will work closely with your child to determine their ability to understand and communicate with others. After that, we will create therapy sessions specific to the child’s speech and/or language goals.
Why Would Speech Therapy be a Good Option for My Child?
Children can be treated for speech disorders such as stuttering or difficulty pronouncing words, difficulty pitching, volume, quality, or understanding words and their meanings. Some children have difficulty connecting words or using language incorrectly. Some have attention and memory issues. Some children have problems chewing, swallowing, and refusing food. Speech therapy may be required for children suffering from speech impairment due to an injury or illness. Speech therapy may be required for children for several reasons. If your child isn’t on the same level with his peers or reaching milestones in their age group, you may consider intensive or ongoing speech therapy.
What are the Benefits for Children in Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy offers many benefits to children, including:
- Communication skills to improve communication and allow people to express their feelings and thoughts
- Let them speak so that other people can understand.
- Preparing them in school so they can keep up with the other children in learning
- Improves vocal quality
- Independence and self-esteem increase
- Communications Support
Children without a speech path can use aided communication to communicate with their peers (e.g. Communication books, low- and mid-tech communication tools, high tech communication gadgets, and/or apps are all acceptable. Speech and language therapy doesn’t just focus on speech. It includes language. Many people have the misconception that speech therapy refers to just speech. But, it is much more.
- Aids with social skills
A key component of inter-personal interaction in a community or life is the ability to use appropriate pragmatic/social skills. If you lack or have limited functional speech, your pragmatic language skills may be affected. You can improve your social skills by using video modeling and role-playing, specific therapy apps, or social stories. These strategies can be used to improve social skills and aided communication is an important part of speech therapy.
- Reading Aids
Speech delay can make it difficult to listen, read and write. Communication is greatly enhanced by literacy skills and reading. It is possible to communicate without difficulty if you can spell. You can communicate with others by teaching these essential skills.
- Enhances Alternative Communication Methods
To aid communication, you should consider other communication methods such as gestures, signs language approximations, or vocalizations. We communicate with total communication as humans. We communicate with our bodies through gestures, speech, facial expressions, gestures, and writing.
- Communication frustrations can be reduced
Speech therapy helps children communicate with other children and adults. It is a program that focuses specifically on improving speech muscles using specific exercises. Speech exercises are a repetition of sounds and imitations of the speech therapist.
What Does a Speech Therapy Session Look like?
Children are often treated one to one or in small groups. Language activities are often done using pictures books, talking and play, and using repetition to increase language skills.
The most important aspect of speech therapy is the sound exercises. The therapist often explains the meaning of words and letter sounds. The therapist can show the child the sounds and words. They may show the child how they move their tongue when pronouncing certain phrases.
Oral feeding and swallowing therapy may be used at times in speech therapy. The therapist might perform exercises to strengthen the jaw and tongue. They may also introduce food at different temperatures or textures to increase the child’s awareness of sensory differences. This therapy can be used for children with swallowing difficulties. The speech therapy Brisbane offers personalized speech therapy sessions that can be tailored to your child’s specific needs. Speech therapy is our passion!
