Strategies that speech therapists use during sessions include:
Imitating positive speech
Repeating major key words
Using visual imagery and aids to increase understanding
Narrating their own actions or a child’s actions
Improving self-feeding capabilities
Speech Therapy Basics
Speech therapy is a crucial service for children who don’t yet know how to communicate their needs. When kids are young, they may cry or yell to alert others to their presence. However, as they grow, verbal and non-verbal communication becomes the key to interacting with others. Speech therapists can help kids overcome communicaiton and language difficulties that stem from muscular issues, neurological disorders, hearing impairments, and more.
What does a pediatric speech therapist do?
Speech therapists use a direct, interactive approach involving games, puzzles, songs, videos, and other activities to increase a child’s ability to express themselves. A big part of a speech therapist’s job is to encourage consistency in a child’s ability to communicate since this is what will allow them to carry on conversations in a purposeful way.
What Does a Pediatric Speech Physical Therapist do?
Most people don’t know that speech therapists also address problems with feeding and swallowing. These are often complex, so your child would benefit from being treated by the experienced therapists at Building Blocks Pediatric Therapy who can rehabilitate a variety of concerns and root causes. For example, some babies and infants may have trouble being breast- or bottle-fed due to sensory concerns, muscular issues, or neurological conditions. These issues can extend into childhood, as a child may experience sensitivities to certain foods, trouble chewing, or generalized weakness of the mouth. Speech therapists can give children exercises, adjust their positioning, modify their diet, teach them the safest way to chew and swallow, and make home recommendations to improve a child’s ability to successfully eat.
The Importance of Pediatric speech Therapy
The comprehensive approach that our speech therapists take allows them to work effectively to remedy isolated issues or more intricate concerns. Reach out to our staff to learn more about how your child can get speech therapy at Building Blocks Pediatric Therapy.