Speech therapy – it might be something you’ve come across in a Google search, been told about by a friend or family member, or had your child referred for by your GP. So what is speech therapy, and why might your child need it?
Speech therapy is the assessment and treatment of communication and speech disorders. Speech therapy and speech pathology mean the same thing. It is provided by speech pathologists, who are trained health professionals who support children and adults with communication and speech challenges. Speech therapists can help children with:
- Articulation (speech sound) disorders
- Stuttering
- Voice disorders
- Receptive (understanding) language disorders
- Expressive (using) language disorders
- Early language
- Feeding and swallowing
- Literacy
Some speech therapists also work with adults with cognitive-communication disorders, aphasia, dysarthria, and other communication and speech challenges.
Speech therapists plan individualised assessments based on the child’s needs. This can include formal, standardised assessment; play-based assessment, often used for early intervention; or observing the child in different places, such as at home and school. Assessments also include discussions with the parent around the child’s needs, functional goals for the child and any difficulties the child is having at home, school or in the community.
Once the assessment is done, the speech therapist develops a therapy plan. This is also tailored to the child and depends on several factors, including the child’s areas of strengths and difficulties; the family’s primary goals for the child; the child’s responsiveness to different forms of therapy; and what is going to be most functional for the child and family.
A well-developed speech therapy plan will:
- Involve the family and other key people in the child’s life in creating and carrying out the plan
- Clearly explain the therapy process to the family, and discuss progress and anything making therapy harder at home
- Work alongside teachers, other allied health professionals and anyone else in the child’s care team so strategies and goals line up
- Make sure the family feels supported to use the strategies at home
- Include the child’s interests and motivators so they feel engaged in therapy
How we can help: Assessment →