Speech therapy helps children with disabilities improve their speech and language, social communication, reading and writing, and feeding skills. Speech therapy is beneficial to individuals with disabling conditions and boosts academic and social success. While many children who need speech therapy participate in special education classrooms, children in mainstream classrooms also benefit from speech therapy. Speech therapists help children based on their needs. If a child is functioning below age expectations in literacy, language, conversation, speech or eating, speech therapy can help! Because people are unique, speech therapists always consider the needs of each individual child. Here are examples of how a speech therapist can help differently-abled kids:
- Some children with cerebral palsy benefit from a voice output device to help them communicate. A speech therapist can assist in finding the best device for a child and teach them to use it across the school, home, and the community.
- Some children who are slow to speak may benefit from sign language. Speech therapists can teach children and their families keyword signs to expand expression and trigger language development.
- Some children may have difficulty spelling or understanding what they’ve read. Speech therapists can help children think about the sounds in words, so that they can improve their reading and writing.
- Children with autism often need support with their social communication skills. Speech therapists can help children with autism learn how to get their needs met, gather social information, and hold conversations.
- Some children struggle to understand or attend to complex sentences. These children may have poor grades and experience teasing or bullying. Speech therapists can identify which parts of language are difficult for children to unpack and support them in building their skills.
- Some children are averse to eating certain textures of food or have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Speech therapists can help a child expand their diet, eat safely, and enhance their nutrition.
Speech therapy is often essential for differently-abled kids. It aids their overall health, improves grades and peer relationships, and boosts confidence and independence!