Speech Therapy for Preschoolers
When a child has a speech or language disorder, the best time to get them help through speech therapy would be sometime when they are in preschool.
However, at such a young age, a child may not even be communicating on a level that will show you that they do have a problem. As the parent, it is important for you to know the signs of a disability so that you can get your child speech therapy at as early of an age as possible.
How do you know if your child has a speech, language disability? Here are some things that you will need to ask yourself. The answers to these questions may give you some insight into your own child.
- Pay attention to the speech of children in your own child’s peer group. Does you child seem to be speaking slower or in a different manner from other children?
- Does your child play games that involve speaking and talking, but get frustrated by the process?
- When your child tries to talk, does the talking seem to be a challenge, causing frustration or anger?
- Does your child turn to alternatives to asking for things, like pointing, grabbing, hitting, or making inarticulate noises?
- Is your child at the age where they should be speaking in short sentences, but they are using only single words still?
- Does your child seem inattentive in classroom situations?
- Does your child have trouble following instructions that go beyond just basic commands?
Of course, answering yes to some of those questions may not necessarily say that your child needs speech therapy, but it is something that you should consider, especially if your child is exhibiting several different signs listed above. In that case, you may want to discuss with your physician your concerns about your child’s speech and language.
When a child gets speech therapy at a young age, this can ensure that they do not continue to have speech and language problems into adulthood. However, since children are just learning how to speak and communicate, it can be hard to realize that there is even a problem in the first place.
By asking yourself the questions above, you can get a better idea of your child’s communication level and whether or not there is a problem. That way, you can consider speech therapy if it is needed.
