Have you ever wondered if speech therapy is right for your child?
Sometimes parents have questions about their child’s speech and language development, and that’s okay! Just like any other skill, children acquire language and speech sounds at different rates. However, it is never a bad idea to reach out to your pediatrician if you have questions.
Here are some of the most common questions asked by parents when wondering if they should pursue an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist.
“Does my child really need speech services?”Â
As a general rule of thumb, a child should be able to say all speech sounds by about 5 and have mastered all sounds by age 8. However, many sounds are mastered before the age of 5, so if your child is particularly hard to understand at age 3 1/2- 4, it would be appropriate to seek out a speech therapy evaluation. In regards to language, a child should show interest in copying your words by 1 year. If a child does not have approximately 10 words besides “mama” and “dada” in their vocabulary by 15 months, or have not started combining 2 words by 24 months, they may benefit from speech therapy services.
“Won’t starting speech therapy make my child self conscious about their speech?”Â
It shouldn’t! If anything, starting speech therapy at a younger age may help children avoid feelings of frustration that may accompany working on sounds when they get older, as those speech patterns become more ingrained. As therapists, we teach children what it means to work hard on something while navigating the fear, embarrassment, or frustration that can come with learning something new. Games and fun activities are frequently incorporated into therapy to help children feel comfortable and motivated to keep working on such important skills.
“Won’t they grow out of it?”Â
Not always. Research shows us that children who have difficulty communicating earlier on and do not receive intervention, are more likely to have lasting difficulties with speech and language all the way into adulthood. In regards to speech sounds, the longer children produce sounds in error, the more ingrained those error patterns become. A 6 year old working on the R sound will have far less practice producing that sound incorrectly than a 10 year old, and as a result, it will be easier for them to correct.
“Is therapy right for my child?”Â
If a child is not meeting their communication milestones, therapy is right for them! Parents and children deserve to feel comfortable and empowered in the therapy process. If you have questions about therapy, speech therapists are available to answer specific questions and help you determine what will be the best course of action for your child.
When in doubt, I always recommend seeking out a screening or a full evaluation to determine if speech therapy is needed. It is always a good idea to help children establish these essential skills early on. Children have bright and creative minds, and it is our job to help them effectively share all of their amazing thoughts and ideas with the people around them.