Speech therapy for your child in Orlando can be a daunting experience for everyone. Parents who are involved in their child’s speech therapy journey, tend to be more successful. Partnering with the right speech therapist is key to ensure a positive and efficient experience.

Here are a few tips to help you and your child through the speech therapy process.

Ask Questions

Don’t be hesitant about asking your child’s speech therapist any questions. It is important to understand any recommendations through every stage of therapy.

Ask about the rationale and sequencing behind each goal.

Will each goal be targeted all at once or individually?

After a few weeks of speech therapy, ask about your child’s progress.

Are their goals that your child is naturally improving on?

Offer Suggestions

It is important that the speech therapist understands what brings your child joy. So, don’t hesitate to offer any suggestions to your therapist. The sessions should be fun for your child, you know what interest your child and what motivates them. This will play a significant role in their growth.

Practice Makes Perfect

With every type of therapy, practice makes perfect. While you don’t need to do more than you can reasonable take on or cause stress over the situation. Though, research suggest practicing and follow up exercise at home can significantly improve your child’s speech therapy journey.

For instance, just ten to fifteen minutes of activities assigned from your therapist, three to four times a week, can make all the difference.

Early Intervention

Early intervention can have a big impact on your child’s development. Not only does it improve their ability to communicate, it improves how they interact, social skills, and emotional development. It also provides guidance and support for parents and caregivers.

“We know parents want the best for their children,” said Elise Davis-McFarland, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA , “However, they may hear messages that encourage a ‘wait and see’ approach by suggesting a child may grow out of a communication issue. Unfortunately, this often is not the case. Delaying treatment means children may miss a critical developmental window where they acquire a majority of their foundational speech and language skills, which occurs between birth and 3 years of age. Hearing and listening to language is the primary way young children learn. The skills achieved during this time lay the groundwork for later success with reading and writing, academics, social interactions, and career options and advancement—making early intervention for any speech/language or hearing problem, preferably well before age 3, so important.”

If you have any questions or concerns about your child, we encourage you to contact Orlando’s First Words Therapy. We take a holistic approach to speech-language-therapy to help your child communicate more effectively.