Could your child benefit from speech therapy? Part of development is learning how to speak and articulate ourselves. But many children can use a little help along the way. If you suspect that your child could use some guidance to become a more effective communicator, our speech pathologists are ready to help. Here are some benefits speech therapy can provide!
Speech therapy could improve your child’s listening skills, articulation ability, and more.
Fluency
When speech pathologists refer to ‘fluency,’ they aren’t referring to one’s grasp of a novel language. Instead, ‘fluency’ refers to how well the spoken words flow. One of the most common communication disorders among children is stuttering, which is a disruption to speech fluency. Our speech therapists are experts at mitigating the impacts of stuttering and improving fluency.
Social Communication
When growing up, you learned to speak differently to your teachers than you would to your friends. You should use different language at the dinner table than you would in the schoolyard. By the same token, you learned to wait your turn before speaking, and to remain on topic when necessary. Speech therapy can help children to understand the nuances of social communication.
Listening Skills
Listening should be a fundamental part of having a conversation. Speech pathologists refer to listening ability as ‘receptive language skills.’ By focusing on this aspect of communication, your child will become more adept at answering questions, following directions, and having impactful conversations.
Articulation
Many children struggle to pronounce a particular letter or sound. This is because of the motor component that often accompanies speech disorders. For instance, a child may not be able to place their tongue in the proper position to pronounce the letter ‘r.’
An inability to pronounce a particular sound will reduce your child’s intelligibility among their peers. Speech therapy can spotlight any phonemes they might struggle with.
Expression
For some children, it’s easy to describe objective, matter-of-fact occurrences, but expressing one’s emotions can be a challenge. Forming an excellent ability to express one’s feelings is one of the goals of our speech therapists. They can help your child build up the vocabulary and the nonverbal communication skills they need to do so.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (301) 577-4333. Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.