Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a treatment that can help improve communication skills. It’s sometimes called speech-language therapy. Many people think that speech therapy is only for children with speech disorders that affect pronunciation. But it also helps children who struggle with spoken and written language. That includes those with language disorders and reading challenges like dyslexia.
The specialists who do this type of therapy are speech-language pathologists (SLPs). They start by identifying what kind of speech or language problem a child has. Then they determine what’s causing it and decide on the best treatment.

In addition to speech challenges, therapy can target problems with:

• Receptive language (understanding language)
• Expressive language (using language)
• Social communication (using language in socially appropriate ways)
• Reading and spelling (including dyslexia)
• Therapy may last from a few months to a few years. The earlier therapy begins, the more helpful it is. Language difficulties are usually life long, but skills can improve with the right support.