The True Value Of Pediatric Speech Therapy

By Cornelia White


It can be heartbreaking for parent or caregiver to discover that their child or ward is facing difficulties communicating in a manner that many take for granted. Talking is such a routine activity for many people that they often fail to fathom the challenges that children face in acquiring and using a language. Pediatric speech therapy is helpful in cases where children have a hard time mastering verbal communication processes.

Therapy to enable better oral communication in children is carried out by specialists who have been trained in the field.This type of treatment often involves an exploration of the potential causes of the challenge. For the most part the causes stem from physical or emotional barriers. A good speech therapist will take this factor into consideration prior to evaluating the patient.

Linguists agree that language is the result of a collaborative effort between the brain and the body parts that allow speech to occur. At times there are hindrances that disrupt the message. These are classified as psychological or mental challenges and a part of the speech therapist's job is to ensure that the patient is equipped with the skills necessary to handle the challenges they face.

Psychological triggers that lead to impaired language in children may come in a variety of forms. The patient could be reacting to a traumatic situation that has triggered a shutdown of their oral communication behaviors. Some examples of events that can cause this type of trauma are; a violent accident, witnessing a violent crime or physical or verbal abuse.

Sometimes the language usage challenge has its roots in learning or mental disabilities. Children with special needs, which include conditions like Autism and Verbal Apraxia are among those who suffer from language deficiencies. Special needs children often need the help of a speech therapist to help them master oral self expression skills and cope with the frustrations of being misunderstood.

Misshapen teeth or other structural problems in the oral cavity are typically the most obvious causes of barriers to speaking. Many times they are the result of developmental lapses that occur during the fetal stage. At other times they may be caused by physical trauma sustained in accidents or by some other violent means.

When the underlying cause is a physical one, one of the first approaches is to determine whether surgical procedures may remedy the situation. This is why these types of therapists often form close associations with surgeons who specialize in language related procedures. Therapy is still required after surgery to help the child overcome the psychological hurdle.

All stakeholders in the development, nurturing and care of children must pay attention to one critical fact of childhood language acquisition challenges. That fact is essentially that pediatric speech therapy may be the solution you need if you are caring for a child with language use problems. It can make a world of a difference in terms of the social development of an individual.




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