Speech therapy is a special training given to people who have problems with speech or language. The training is meant to enhance their ability to speak more clearly. Who Needs The Training? A child suffering from autism spectrum disorder will definitely require speech therapy. Such training will certainly assist the overall development of the child.

Speech therapy will greatly improve the child’s overall communication. Social skills will also be enhanced. The training will also enhance the ability or the child in coping with the society. Day-by-day life functioning will also improve.

Let me make it clear to you that speech therapy is not meant for only kids. Such training can also be of benefit to adults suffering from communication disorders.

Those with learning impairments can also benefit from special training. The other set of people who stand to gain from the speech training are people with difficulty swallowing.

What Is the Best Age For Such Therapy?

Whatever time you start the speech therapy,  be it early or late, it will still be of great benefit to the child. However, it is better for the therapy to start the very moment you notice your child has started falling behind in communication.

As for kids that are not communicating at all, they have to be taken for assessments in both speech and language when the child is at the age of 18 months, or thereabout.

Steps In Such Therapy

Speech therapy contains sessions of exercises. The exercises are designed to strengthen your facial muscles and your throat. You will learn how to control breathing when you are speaking.

The combination of strengthening of facial muscles and breathing control will greatly improve the sound of the word you utter.

Description Of The Therapy Exercises

Speech therapy exercises enhance your ability to produce language. It also improves your overall communication skills.

The Exercises To Try At Home Are:

• Tongue movement in-and-out
• Tongue movement side-to-side
• Tongue movement up-and-down
• Saying cheese!
• Practicing of your kissy face
• Repetition of consonant and vowel pairing

Indications Of Speech Disorder

Symptoms that indicate speech disorder are given beneath:

• Hearing impairment 
• Cognitive and development delays
• When the oral muscles are weak
• When the drooling is in excess
• When the hoarseness is chronic
• Birth defects like CL/CP
• Autism
• Problems of motor planning
• Problems of respiration
• Disorders in feeding and swallowing 
• Traumatic brain injury

Kinds Of Therapy Applied By Speech Therapists

Depending on symptoms, there are various types of speech therapy that the therapist may use in treating the patient. These are:

• Late talkers’ communication therapy
• Therapy meant for kids affected by Apraxia 
• Communication therapy for stuttering 
• Communication therapy for Aphasia 
• Swallowing difficulty therapy 

Benefits Of Communication Therapy Are:

Conversational skills become developed. With this, interaction with both adults and kids becomes easier. General improvement in ability to express ideas and feelings. They have a better understanding relating to social cues. Speech and articulation become clear. Skills of non-verbal communication and body language are also acquired.

Key Takeaways

Speech therapy which is a special training for the improvement of communication can be of huge benefit for kids and adults suffering from speech disorders. Even though the therapy can be initiated at any time, it is more beneficial to start early.

There are so many indications of speech disorder; hence you need to take your child for assessment the moment you notice your child has started falling behind in communication.