When is Speech Therapy Needed?

Kids might need speech-language therapy for a variety of reasons, including:

Hearing impairments

Cognitive (intellectual; thinking) or other developmental delays

Weak oral muscles

Birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate

Autism

Motor planning problems

Respiratory problems (breathing disorders)

Swallowing disorders

Traumatic brain injury

When Should I start Therapy?

Therapy should begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early in their development tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later.
This does not mean that older kids can't make progress in therapy; they may progress at a slower rate because they often have learned patterns that need to be changed.

How can I help my Child?

Parents are an extremely important part of their child's therapy program. Ask the therapist for suggestions on how you can help your child. For instance, it's important to help your child do the at-home stimulation activities that the therapist suggests to ensure continued progress and carry-over of newly learned skills.

The process of overcoming a speech or language disorder may take some time and effort, so it's important that all family members be patient and understanding with the child.