5 reasons why you should consider Speech Therapy for your child

In a world where communication is everything, each one of us must have our ‘communication toolbox’ in top form. This toolbox may include words, sentences, signs, tone, and gestures. And the apt usage of each of these helps us communicate the right thing and the right time. 

However, if we mix things up a little, for instance not using the right tone, word, or pronunciation, there's a good chance of being misunderstood. And this can be a real challenge for people with speech-related disorders — which are far more common than you think. India is home to 7.5% of adults with speech impairments, making it the fifth-most common disability in the country. 

The key to combating speech and language development problems is to first identify the following among children: 

• Not being able to combine words by 18 months of age
• Limited attention
• Lag in understanding new words
• Difficulty in following instructions
• Unclear speech vocabulary
• Cognitive changes such as decreased memory or problem-solving skills
• The second step would be to seek speech therapy. 

Speech therapy, also known as speech-language pathology, refers to the assessment and treatment of communication disorders. The therapy focuses on improving a child’s speech and the ability to understand and express. Put simply, if a child faces any difficulty in communicating through words, gestures or sound, speech therapy, facilitated by a speech therapist, is a go-to option.

These speech therapists or speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess speech, language, and cognitive-communication related problems.

Once they understand the areas the child needs help in, they conduct therapeutic sessions with activities depending on the child’s age, the type of speech disorder, and other special needs. These sessions may include: 

• Interactions through talking and playing, using books, pictures, and other objects. This helps accelerate the development of language
• Movement of the mouth to produce sounds that form words and sentences

Here’s how speech therapy can benefit affected children:

Development of stronger social skills 

Language is used to greet, inform, request, promise, etc — all of this helps us establish strong social ties. Additionally, it changes based on who one addresses. For instance, a baby is spoken to differently than a college professor. Speech therapy helps children navigate through these seemingly simple social behaviors and boosts their ability to identify non-verbal cues across social settings.  

Improved communication

An estimated 1% of children experience the most severe form of speech, language, and communication difficulties. This prevents them from even expressing their most basic needs. 

Speech therapy can play a crucial role in helping these children express their needs and wants. They can also be taught to interpret and respond to questions, statements, and keep the conversation going — making them less dependent on others. 

Increased cognitive abilities 

Our brain controls essential cognitive functions like speech, thinking, and reasoning. And for most of us, these functions take place seamlessly. However, 200 million children worldwide are faced with cognitive impairments, putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to speech and communication. 

Thankfully, speech therapists are skilled at teaching cognitive-based techniques that improve:

• Reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Executive functioning and memory,  
• Self-awareness and monitoring abilities
• Self-talk

Better use of tones

Communication is not just about using the right words, it’s also about using the right tone. In other words, what we say is just as important as how we say things. That’s why tones are an extremely important part of speech therapy. It’s able to correct tones that lack emotion, sound angry, or sound atypical in any way. 

Improved reading and writing abilities

50-90% of children with persistent speech, language and communication difficulties go on to struggle with reading and writing. Speech therapy benefits these children immensely as it’s also directed at helping them write logically, complete sentences, and organize thoughts better. This bridges the gap between critical learning areas. 

Speech Therapy at Plexus

Patients with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and mental retardation are most in need of speech therapy. Our team of trained and dedicated therapists pay attention to the smallest of details, ensuring patients learn to speak clearly and correctly.