Speech therapy can target a number of different skills and factors of communication. These include, but are not limited to:
- Expressive language skills (using language to express oneself)
- Receptive language skills (understanding language)
- Articulation (how we say different speech sounds)
- Feeding/swallowing
- Social skills
- Voice (how the voice sounds)
- Fluency (stuttering)
- Written language
- Literacy
- Hearing
Depending on your child’s needs, the scope of their speech therapy can include any number of these different focus areas. Our experienced clinicians will evaluate your child and create a unique treatment plan to address their specific needs.
How Soon Can I Expect to See Improvements From Speech Therapy?
With speech therapy we can often see improvements very quickly, however it’s important to note that therapy does take time. No matter how long it takes you to see improvements, please know that your child is working hard during therapy sessions, and those improvements will come eventually.
Age, needs, and ongoing support from families and caretakers are all factors in how quickly you will see your individual child’s skills improve.
One benefit of our cohesive therapeutic environment is that your SPOT therapy team regularly communicates with the RBTs and BCBAs. If your child is also receiving behavioral therapy from our ABA team, there will be ongoing communication between disciplines and improvements can be exponential due to the opportunity for therapy carryover throughout your child’s day.
Do You Provide Home Speech Therapy Exercises?
Yes, we do! At Handprints Therapies we believe that home exercises are an essential component to success, and important for ensuring that skills practiced in session carry over. You can expect to receive recommendations for home exercises and therapy follow-up throughout your child’s speech therapy journey.
These programs are meant to help your child meet their goals. You will receive guidance and caregiver training with specific techniques, and have the opportunity to ask questions and gather clarification before implementing at home. Do your best, and we are here to support you in any way we can!
What Are the Benefits of Speech Therapy In a Clinic vs. At Home?
When you bring your child into our clinic for speech therapy, the environment can easily be manipulated to increase success. We have multiple tools, play equipment, and therapy-specific activities all in one place.
With a variety of activities within reach, the therapist can customize each session, and pivot quickly based on your child’s needs. The change of environment, communication partners, structure and sequence of the session, and novel toys/games can influence your child’s motivation and engagement during therapy sessions.
How Many Treatment Hours Does Speech Therapy Require?
How many treatment hours your child requires for speech therapy is determined by their needs. Frequency can be anywhere from 1-5x per week. After their initial assessment is complete, the therapy team will determine how many sessions per week would best benefit your child.