For new parents, watching as your child starts to talk is a one-of-a-kind experience. But for children with speech disorders, the road to communication can be much longer. Many families turn to speech therapy, which gives children who struggle with speech the extra support they need and helps them develop effective communication skills.
“Early intervention is key,” says Olivia Benson, a speech language pathologist at Basal Therapies & Preschool in Frederick.
At Basal Therapies, Benson works with children as young as 2 and as old as 17 to help them improve their speaking and communication skills through exercises and games.
Difficulties with speech and language can be a sign of a speech disorder, like stuttering, a lisp or aphasia, or a symptom of another kind of physical or developmental disability. Conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome can affect a child’s speech and language development.
Benson adds that speech therapy can also aid a child’s social and communicative skills in addition to helping them through verbal difficulties.
“That refers not only to speech, but to how kids get their wants and needs to be understood by others,” she notes. “Our overall goal is to enhance their communication in their daily environment.”
Signs that your child might benefit from speech therapy
- Limited babbling, cooing or other noises as a baby
- Limited vocabulary
- Difficulty making certain sounds
- Reluctance to interact or socialize with peers or adults outside of the family
- Stuttering or pausing for long periods of time
- Inability to respond to questions
- Difficulty with making and/or holding eye contact
- Inability to point or gesticulate with body
