How does speech therapist help children

Speech therapy usually begins with an assessment by an SLP who will identify the type of communication disorder and the best way to treat it. For your child, speech therapy may take place in a classroom or small group, or one-on-one, depending on the speech disorder. During speech therapy for children, the SLP may:. Speech therapy for adults also begins with assessment to determine your needs and the best treatment. Speech therapy exercises for adults can help you with speech, language, and cognitive communication.

Some speech disorders begin in childhood and improve with age, while others continue into adulthood and require long-term therapy and maintenance. A communication disorder caused by a stroke or other medical condition may improve as with treatment and as the condition improves. The success rate of speech therapy varies between the disorder being treated and age groups. When you start speech therapy can also have an impact on the outcome.

Speech therapy for young children has been shown to be most successful when started early and practiced at home with the involvement of a parent or caregiver. Speech therapy can treat a broad range of speech and language delays and disorders in children and adults. This can make speech therapy even more effective. Learn more about how speech-language pathologists work with kids. One of the first reading skills is called phonological awareness.

Kids rely on that ability to sound out decode words. Kids with reading challenges like dyslexia typically have trouble with this skill. Speech-language therapy can help them hear that the word bat breaks down into b , a , and t sounds. This can improve reading comprehension skills and encourage kids to read.

Difficulty with language can also cause problems with reading comprehension. SLPs work on those skills, too. Learn more about phonological awareness.

To get speech therapy at school, kids need to be evaluated by the SLP. That usually happens as part of a full school evaluation for special education services. For some kids, speech therapy is the only service they need. Find out how to request a free evaluation for:. Early intervention kids under age 3. Speech and language pathologists work with children who have difficulty reading the cues from the social world, interpreting others, and using words and body language to communicate effectively and develop friendships.

According to the authors, "Attending to social information to process and respond to nonverbal cues provided by the context, people, and their language is difficult for students with social learning challenges -- autism spectrum disorders, non-verbal learning disability, speech language impairment, ADHD, etc.

Children who, for a variety of reasons are unable to speak, need alternative communication methods. Early intervention and preschool SLPs teach children and their parents how pictures and simple sign language enable them to communicate their needs.

School-aged children may be able to use computers or iPads to communicate through text or a voice synthesizer. According to Lois Brady, author of Apps for Autism , touch screen technology such as the iPad has made it possible for students to communicate and meet their individual goals using the same super-cool device that their classmates use.

Furthermore, speech therapists are able to use the same device to teach speech and language skills through engagement and motivation. SLPs are readily available in public schools to evaluate and provide treatment. Parents may opt for private speech therapy offered in a clinical setting or have their child join a social skills training group.

Ask the school guidance counselor or family physician to recommend a program with children of similar ages and developmental needs to your child's. This information helps parents who suspect that their child has a language delay understand when to seek professional help. All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation.

Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. They might work in specialist intervention services for children with these disabilities. Speech pathologists work one on one with children and also with groups — for example, in the classroom. They are often part of early intervention teams of different specialists who work with children — for example, occupational therapists , psychologists and dietitians.

With the support and expertise of these professionals, you can help your child thrive. Your child might see a speech pathologist if he has trouble with communication including:. During the assessment, the speech pathologist will talk with you about what your child has trouble with.