Speech Language Therapy

What is Speech Language Therapy?
Speech Language Therapy is the treatment for children with communication and feeding disorders.

A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas.

A feeding disorder refers to a condition in which an infant or child is unable or refuses to eat, or has difficulty eating, which can result in frequent illnesses and failure to grow normally. Some common types of feeding disorders in children include dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), food refusal, inability to self-feed, taking too long to eat; choking, gagging, or vomiting when eating; inappropriate mealtime behavior; and picky eating according to food type and texture.

When Is Speech Language Therapy Needed?
Your child may benefit from a speech language evaluation if he or she is:
- non-verbal at age 2
- difficulty following verbal directions
- echolalia (repeating back words and phrases without comprehension)
- unintelligible speech, but with adequate vocal inflection and gestures
- word retrieval difficulties, difficulty naming objects or "talking in circles" around
subjects with lack of the appropriate vocabulary
- difficulty acquiring the rules of grammar
- difficulty with word meaning
- articulation difficulties

Children may also require speech language therapy for a variety of medical reasons or as a result of physical disability, such as cerebral palsy or cleft lip or palate, where the roof of the mouth, or center of the lips, don't join together. An injury to the head, neck or spinal cord could delay speech development. Children with hearing impairment and speech problems can also be helped with speech therapy.

Should You Wait?
If you have concerns about your child's speech development, an evaluation may be beneficial. Children with speech issues, who enroll in therapy early in their development (younger than 3 years) tend to have better outcomes than children who begin therapy later.

This does not mean that older children can't make progress in therapy; they may progress at a slower rate because they often have learned patterns that need to be modified or changed.

What Does Therapy Involve?
Speech therapy uses a variety of therapeutic strategies, including:

Language Intervention: This involves having a speech-language therapist as well as the parent interacting with the child by playing and talking to him. The therapist may use toys, pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development.

Speech Intervention: This intervention targets correct sound production. The exercises involve modelling correct sounds and syllables for a child (often during play activities), teaching oral placement cues and increasing the awareness of different sounds (auditory discrimination). The level of play is age-appropriate and related to the child's specific needs.

Intervention for Feeding Difficulties:  Prior to intervention, children which present with feeding difficulties are seen by medical professionals to determine if this was caused by any underlying medical conditions. Children with feeding difficulties may present with the following conditions: failure to thrive, sensory feeding disorders, oral motor hypersensitivity often secondary to GERD. Post evaluation, intervention is tailored to the child's needs and may be integrated to include but not limited to behavioural, oral motor or other approaches to normalise feeding patterns. Intervention by the speech language pathologist or on a multi-disciplinary platform with other specialists will be dependent on the child's needs.

How Is Speech Therapy Delivered?
Speech and Language Therapy comes in different forms:
- Direct Speech and Language Therapy: the therapist works one-on-one or in a group setting with the child
- Indirect Speech and Language Therapy: the therapist may advise the carers and those involved within the client's direct environment such as teachers. This may include school visits and caregiver training.
- Alternatively, the therapist may monitor the client's progress at regular intervals and offer advice/activities for home use between intervals.

Speech therapy may be, and often is delivered using a combination of these methods depending on the child's specific difficulties and his or her family's needs and situation. Our professionals look to delivering patient care according to the needs of the child and his caregivers, in a family-centred approach.