Who can benefit from Speech therapy?
Many speech therapists who work with children do speech sound assessments and treatments every day. It can be difficult to strike a balance between focusing on specific speech errors and considering the broader picture of communication. While it's important to address pronunciation issues, successful communication involves various skills. We should avoid overly nitpicking and be mindful of the overall communication context.
An example of what not to do can be found in an essay by David Sedaris, where he shares his fifth-grade experience with speech therapy for an /s/ sound. The therapy was unwanted, embarrassing, and ineffective. Sedaris, now a successful author, still speaks with a lisp, proving that effective communication goes beyond perfect pronunciation.
As speech therapists, we should be cautious to disrupt a child's class unnecessarily for pronunciation issues. It's vital to ask whether speech errors are hindering communication and literacy, and if so, how therapy can effectively enhance overall communication skills.
Diagnosing and treating speech sound disorders in children can be challenging. Not all mispronunciations indicate a problem, as young kids naturally make errors. However, some children with speech sound disorders may struggle with vocabulary and phonological awareness, affecting their language and literacy development. Speech therapy can help address these deficits early on.
Understanding the connection between speech perception, motor control, and awareness is essential. Children may perceive speech sounds before pronouncing them correctly due to the development of articulatory control. Evaluating these skills helps tailor therapy goals to address specific needs.
For children with medical diagnoses like cerebral palsy, speech therapy is often assumed necessary. However, a careful assessment is crucial, as not all children with such diagnoses require speech intervention. Research indicates that speech intelligibility percentages can guide us in determining whether a child needs long-term speech motor impairment support.
It's important to consider how others perceive a child's speech outside the therapy room. Clinical data might not always align with non-expert opinions. Understanding these perspectives helps us provide appropriate support, considering biases and societal perceptions.
In summary:
Children with speech sound deficits may face challenges in perceiving speech sounds and learning new words.
Speech sound awareness differs from oral-motor control and awareness, and assessments should consider both areas.
Medical diagnoses may indicate a higher likelihood of speech sound disorders, but not all children require speech intervention.
Non-expert perceptions of a child's speech may differ from clinical data, impacting functional communication and societal perception. Awareness of these factors helps tailor support for the child's communication challenges.
Sources:
DeCook, Abigail (2023). Speech Sound Therapy: Who Needs It? Informed SLP, 2023.
