If you feel that your child is developing a speech disorder and you are unsure what to do, you are not alone. According to research, approximately 1 in every 12 children between the ages of 3 and 17 have some type of speech disorder.
Coming to terms with the fact that your child has any type of disorder is alarming for any parent. You have no idea about the severity of the speech problem and if it is just a short developmental stage or a real condition.
Speech therapy for kids can help a child at any stage of their growing life, and knowing the signs and symptoms for when they should go to therapy is essential for their success. The demand for bilingual speech therapy seems to be higher than ever in the current scenario.
The problem is, how do you know when your child needs speech therapy? What are the signs to look out for?
Thankfully, we’ve created this article to answer those questions, keep on reading to learn more about speech therapy for kids.
How Can Speech Therapy For Kids Help?
Speech therapy for kids is a bit different than speech therapy for adults. As kids develop, they can experience little “hiccups” in their ability to speak. Typically, it does not last very long if they work with a speech therapist who specializes in children.
Speech therapy for kids can work with numerous disorders such as:
- Swallowing
- Literacy (reading and writing)
- Stuttering
- Language
- Listening
- Voice and auditory adjusting
- Speech (pronunciation)
Some speech disorders may just be a temporary experience, while others may be permanent. The sooner your child sees a therapist, the better chance they have of handling the disorder.
What Are the Warning Signs Of a Speech Disorder?
If you notice something peculiar about how your child is communicating or listening, it could be a sign that they have a speech disorder.
Some of the warning signs are:
- Your child is retracting from playtime with other children
- Your child has a stutter
- You or other people have a hard time communicating with your child
- Your child’s playing behavior seems unfitting
- Your child is being teased about the way they speak
- Your child speaks fewer words than most children in their age group
- Your child is having a hard time with reading and writing
- Your child has another diagnosis that affects speech including autism, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, developmental issues, etc.
- Your child is experiencing frustration with the way they speak, read, or listen
- When other people think your child is younger because of the way he/she communicates
Understanding these warning signs will help your child to work through their speech problems and prevent them from falling behind in school. Working with a speech therapist, such as the program from HCRI will also help strengthen their self-esteem and confidence, as well as prevent them from being picked on at school about their speech.
Learn More About Speech Therapy For Kids
Speech therapy for kids can have a positive impact on a child that will last a lifetime. Correcting their speech at a young age has much better chances of preventing speech issues to continue as an adult.
If you found this article helpful, check out more like this under the health and family section of our blog!
