Getting Started With Speech Therapy

Your child is not speaking as much as his same aged peers. You suspect something is wrong. Here is how to get help. n To begin with you need to see a speech therapist to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. You will need a referral from your child’s pediatrician for insurance to cover these services. You will also need to check with your insurance if there is only a certain therapist available to you. When choosing a therapist do not be afraid to ask questions before you began. Some things to ask are:

• Have you treated a children with this problem before?

• What type of success have you had?

• What type of toys or tools do you use?

• Do they have a structured plan for therapy? n
• Do they have goals for your child?

• Are they a warm & kid-friendly type of person?

• How many years of experience do you have?

• If your child has particular issues such as shyness or hyperactivity find out how they would handle that. n
• Also find out what forms of discipline do they use and if they allow you to be present during therapy sessions. It is always a good idea to sit in on the first few sessions to observe how things are going.

• Is it possible to speak with other clients of yours? (Of course the waiting room is a good place for that.)

• Find out costs and if there schedule is compatible with yours.

• Some therapists are willing to do home visits, but is your home the best place for therapy? Is it free of distractions – your other children, the phone, the television, and your child’s favorite toys? Some kids do much better in a clinical setting that is quiet.

Speech therapy is a very important cornerstone to your child’s speech improvement. One of the first speech therapists my daughter saw was not a positive experience. Unfortunately I did not have the knowledge or experience to know that she was not a good therapist. To begin with she had no warmth or enthusiasm for her work. She did not consistantly build on what she did the session before. One day we worked on the “K” sound, the next the “F” sound. Some days she played music, others she read books. The only toys she used were dirty, old ones her children no longer played with. I thought she must be good as she was working in a large hospital in our area. After two months of taking my daughter there three days a week, the therapist actually ended therapy, because she was not making any progress. I was initially shocked, thinking that if she’s not progressing, she should do more therapy, however that turned out to be a good thing as we sought therapy elsewhere. Her next speech therapist was absolutely amazing and worked very well with us.