How does Speech Therapy work?
Pediatric Speech Therapy helps treat children with communication challenges, both in how they speak and how they understand communication. Speech Therapy also treats oral motor concerns, such as chewing and swallowing, as well as articulation, auditory processing, and social skills.
When is Speech Therapy Necessary?
Children see Speech-Language Pathologists for a variety of reasons, including:
-
Difficulty with feeding or swallowing – unable to safely eat or drink age-appropriate foods and liquids
-
Difficulty articulating certain sounds
-
Difficulty with fluent speech – stuttering
-
Difficulty using words, phrases, and sentences to communicate at an age-appropriate level – needs help using words to communicate and/or turning words into phrases
-
Difficulty understanding information such as directions or questions – needs help understanding words spoken to them
-
Difficulty organizing information and regulating behavior
What does treatment look like?
Speech-Language Pathologists strive to make every therapy session feel like play, especially for their youngest clients! To improve articulation, Speech-Language Pathologists might have a child play with a baby doll and pretend to feed it, naming and talking about pre-selected or strategically selected food to improve their articulation of certain sounds. Playing with the doll and practicing targeted sounds is fun and therapeutic for children at the same time. To target a child’s receptive language and/or executive functioning goals, a therapist may create a fun, motivating obstacle course where the child needs to follow specific directions and recall a sequence of events.
Speech-Language Pathologists give parents and children the tools they need to improve their language skills. The time spent using those tools at home and in the children’s’ natural environment is what really creates lasting change. Practicing what is learned at the therapy appointments is just as important as the appointments themselves.
Common diagnosis/disorders that can be addressed with Speech Therapy include:
-
Apraxia
-
Autism
-
Articulation Disorders
-
Cleft Palate
-
Developmental Delays
-
Dyslexia
-
Early Language Delays
-
Impaired Attention and Organization
-
Expressive and Receptive Language Disorders
-
Feeding Disorders
-
Fluency Disorders
-
Reading/Writing Difficulties
-
Selective Mutism
-
Swallowing Disorders
-
Tongue Thrust
-
Voice Disorders
-
Vocal Nodules
Individualized Care for Each Child
Our therapists use a variety of treatments to help your child develop skills needed for daily tasks. During an initial evaluation and follow up treatments, our therapists may measure a child's flexibility and strength, analyze how your child moves, assess how your child interacts with their environment and people around them, identify existing and potential limitations, consult with other medical and school personnel about an individual education plan (IEP), and provide instructions for a home exercise/activity program.
This is all so that the treatment plan they create, as well as the treatment sessions, will all be individualized and focused on your child’s specific needs. Each child may take less or more time to reach their goals than others. Everyone is different and because of this, your therapist will watch your child’s progress and adjust their treatments as necessary. They may also teach and provide instructions on activities to do at home between sessions. This will support your child’s progress. Our goal is to support your goals by facilitating growth and development in your child.
Pediatric Occupational and Speech Therapy
Chiropractic Wellness
43-875 Washington St.
Suite G
Palm Desert, CA 92211
Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
