FAQ
Why can’t my child talk?
Speech is the result of many systems working together perfectly. Your therapist will analyze what your child can and cannot do to differentiate the type of difficulty that exists. Review "How Speech Happens" to get an introduction to the hearing, auditory processing, motor planning, and oral strength and coordination that is required for speech.
Did I do anything that caused this?
Parents ask this question because they feel responsible for their child. Because speech is so complex and its success is dependent on so many systems, many factors can contribute to a child not developing speech and language normally. Obviously there are illnesses and accidents that result in speech and language disorders. Many children with these problems have serious prenatal and birth histories. However, many children we see have no history of any problems and end up needing Speech Therapy. And there are children who have a history of trouble who end up not needing Speech Therapy. We all want to know the cause. Many, many times we never know, but we make progress anyway.
What can I do to help my child?
As with solving any problem, understanding the problem is the first step. Work with your therapist to really understand the difficulty your child is experiencing. “Standing under” the problem will give you the perspective you need when your therapist gives you homework. If you see the homework as part of the solution, you’ll want to do it.
I can talk! Why can’t I teach my child to talk?
Knowing how to talk is now implicit knowledge to you. You do it without thinking about it and don’t even realize it. You take it for granted, as you should. To teach your child to talk, you will have to learn how you do it. Your therapist will guide you.
How many sessions per week is the most productive?
This is very much dependent on the needs of the child as well as the availability of someone to carryover into daily life what is done in therapy. Most children receive 1-2 sessions/week. Obviously if the person caring for the child during the day and at home (parent and teacher) is implementing the homework, progress will be faster. The more work done outside therapy, the less frequently sessions need to occur.
Should I be in the therapy session with my child?
Your therapist wants your session to be as productive as possible. There are times when this means you should be in the session so you can learn more about the problem and what should be done at home. This can mean watching your therapist work with your child and it can mean working with your child while the therapist coaches you. Often children do not rise to the occasion as efficiently if the parent is present. In this case, your therapist can teach your child a new skill and then demonstrate it to you afterwards. As your child accepts the routines and the expectations, it will be easier to be present without causing distraction.
How will I know when therapy is no longer needed?
There are standardized tests your therapist will give your child at the outset of therapy. You will be able to see how these scores improve with time. Most importantly, you will see your child functioning in daily life with increasing success—comprehension of others speaking, expressing ideas and describing experiences, clarity of articulation, fluency, and with a normal voice. As these skills become integrated into daily life, therapy can be scheduled less frequently until the full carryover of skills is complete. This should be discussed with your therapist so as to protect newly acquired skills but to not continue treatment that isn't needed.
How do I know if my child needs Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapists are trained to understand how two parts of the nervous system are functioning…the sensory and the motor. The sensory system provides the brain raw sensory data which many children find overwhelming. An overwhelmed child behaves strangely and is difficult to manage and teach. Also, children who have sensory issues tend to have motor issues since the feedback the brain gets from the senses, helps guide the development of movement. Occupational Therapists specialize in giving children the physical experiences they need to achieve a calm and alert state of mind. They also facilitate children in a very specialized way so they can learn motor skills, everything from writing to riding a bike. There are standardized tests your therapist can give your child to provide scores that indicate exactly how well your child is functioning.
Speech is the result of many systems working together perfectly. Your therapist will analyze what your child can and cannot do to differentiate the type of difficulty that exists. Review "How Speech Happens" to get an introduction to the hearing, auditory processing, motor planning, and oral strength and coordination that is required for speech.
Did I do anything that caused this?
Parents ask this question because they feel responsible for their child. Because speech is so complex and its success is dependent on so many systems, many factors can contribute to a child not developing speech and language normally. Obviously there are illnesses and accidents that result in speech and language disorders. Many children with these problems have serious prenatal and birth histories. However, many children we see have no history of any problems and end up needing Speech Therapy. And there are children who have a history of trouble who end up not needing Speech Therapy. We all want to know the cause. Many, many times we never know, but we make progress anyway.
What can I do to help my child?
As with solving any problem, understanding the problem is the first step. Work with your therapist to really understand the difficulty your child is experiencing. “Standing under” the problem will give you the perspective you need when your therapist gives you homework. If you see the homework as part of the solution, you’ll want to do it.
I can talk! Why can’t I teach my child to talk?
Knowing how to talk is now implicit knowledge to you. You do it without thinking about it and don’t even realize it. You take it for granted, as you should. To teach your child to talk, you will have to learn how you do it. Your therapist will guide you.
How many sessions per week is the most productive?
This is very much dependent on the needs of the child as well as the availability of someone to carryover into daily life what is done in therapy. Most children receive 1-2 sessions/week. Obviously if the person caring for the child during the day and at home (parent and teacher) is implementing the homework, progress will be faster. The more work done outside therapy, the less frequently sessions need to occur.
Should I be in the therapy session with my child?
Your therapist wants your session to be as productive as possible. There are times when this means you should be in the session so you can learn more about the problem and what should be done at home. This can mean watching your therapist work with your child and it can mean working with your child while the therapist coaches you. Often children do not rise to the occasion as efficiently if the parent is present. In this case, your therapist can teach your child a new skill and then demonstrate it to you afterwards. As your child accepts the routines and the expectations, it will be easier to be present without causing distraction.
How will I know when therapy is no longer needed?
There are standardized tests your therapist will give your child at the outset of therapy. You will be able to see how these scores improve with time. Most importantly, you will see your child functioning in daily life with increasing success—comprehension of others speaking, expressing ideas and describing experiences, clarity of articulation, fluency, and with a normal voice. As these skills become integrated into daily life, therapy can be scheduled less frequently until the full carryover of skills is complete. This should be discussed with your therapist so as to protect newly acquired skills but to not continue treatment that isn't needed.
How do I know if my child needs Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapists are trained to understand how two parts of the nervous system are functioning…the sensory and the motor. The sensory system provides the brain raw sensory data which many children find overwhelming. An overwhelmed child behaves strangely and is difficult to manage and teach. Also, children who have sensory issues tend to have motor issues since the feedback the brain gets from the senses, helps guide the development of movement. Occupational Therapists specialize in giving children the physical experiences they need to achieve a calm and alert state of mind. They also facilitate children in a very specialized way so they can learn motor skills, everything from writing to riding a bike. There are standardized tests your therapist can give your child to provide scores that indicate exactly how well your child is functioning.