In kids, speech therapy treats very different issues such as speech delay, stuttering, autism, articulation, learning disabilities, dyslexia… It is a wrong belief that being spoiled is the reason for speech issues.
A few signs of some speech disorders are :
– In speech delay: poor vocabulary, unintelligible speech, child not using sentences to express himself, he doesn’t seem to understand instructions.
– In stuttering : sometimes at the beginning of some words the child seems to hesitate and repeat one or more sounds. Specially, in this case the earlier the better for treatment.
– Autism : poor interest in social interaction, little eye contact, inappropriate use of toys, never answers his name.
– Articulation: whether it’s one or more sounds, the child can never say it properly.
– Learning disabilities: reversed writing, increased number of mistakes in dictations or calculation, mixing up letters in writing and /or reading.
During the pandemic, online speech therapy has proven itself to be as effective as on site sessions (with children who have the capacity to enjoy it).It has annihilated distances and waste of time in traffic and waiting areas.
Whenever you have doubts about your child’s speech development seek proper care. Early intervention is THE key for fast improvement. The main goal of speech therapy is to improve specific aspects of communication through guided entertaining activities.
Here are some general tips for parents to improve speech development overall :
– Reduce as much as possible direct and indirect screens exposure, – Cease every opportunity to communicate,
– Choose his toys wisely,
– Read a book everyday mostly to toddlers,
– Make him listen to audio songs without viewing the videos, – Create a specific daily playtime even if it’s short,
– Be interested in what he likes,
Talk and elaborate about his toys, family, body parts, environment, animals, food…
