As a speech therapist, it is your job to be able to work around the difficult sessions involved in treating children. Speech therapy for children is different because their attention span is usually harder to maintain. It is always discussed in baby information centers that these kids are individual and do not always follow the normal timeline in development. This includes speech advancement. During the toddler stage, children begin to express themselves vocally. Sometimes however, a child goes way behind schedule. This is usually the time when parents go looking for a speech therapist.

There are several things you can consider in conducting speech therapy for children. Once you’ve identified the cause of the speech problem of the child, then you can proceed to choose the right course of therapy. You can begin by concentrating on naming the child’s favorite things. Help them connect the word to things that they usually love to have or handle.

A favorite doll or car should be named properly. Repetition also works wonders. Only though this method will the child associate the word with the thing or act. Be sure to pronounce each word carefully going at one syllable a time. Pointing out techniques like pressing your lips together to make the “M” sound should help them copy the sound.

Popular speech therapy for children includes playing interactive and educational speech games that includes parent participation. This gives children an opportunity to bond with their parents; also as toddlers tend to be most comfortable with their parents, they are likely to cooperate more.

speech therapy for children

One helpful tool is the use of picture flash cards. Since the toddler is too young to read, picture cards should help them associate words and sounds. Parents should ‘play’ the game a few minutes a day. The best thing is to start with simple words then slowly move on to more complex ones. Concentrate on sounds they have most difficulty with like “s” or “f”.

Another game that is useful in speech therapy for children is the choices game. This involves a box of toys. Get two different toys and ask your child to point out what he/she wants to play with by speaking out loud the name of the toy. Ask them questions like, “do you want the car or the truck?” while indentifying the toy as you say its name. At first the child may cry or refuse to say the word but with a little patience and repetitions, you may get the result that you want.

Speech therapy for children should be continued at home. It is important for parents to follow through even after the session is through. A speech therapist can only do so much. If they are constantly in the company of people who use vulgar language for instance, they will adapt to that. Parents should also be taught not to use baby language when speaking to their kids. Teach them the value of talking to their children as adults. It will help the kids develop proper speaking habits.