How can I get help for my child’s speech development?

Speech therapy is very effective to improve speech, language and communication skills for children. The earlier we get started, the more successful treatment can be!

Speech therapy can be done in person or via Telehealth. I now work almost solely on Telehealth due to mine and my clients’ success stories conducting speech therapy online.

How can speech therapy be done ONLINE via Telehealth?  

I started working with clients online years before COVID, when I relocated from Perth to Brisbane to pursue a lecturing position at the University of Queensland. Many of the families I was working with in Perth were not willing to disengage with our therapy and look for other in person services - so I took the “risk” and attempted to continue therapy with many of these families, via Telehealth. What we found was amazing - children were as engaged, and therapy was as effective - all from the comfort of their own homes, with their own toys, and without extra logistical planning and travel time. This anecdotal success is now backed up by enormous bodies of research and journal publications, showing the equal benefit of in person and Telehealth speech therapy.

Early intervention is crucial to make sure children are given the best opportunity to overcome potentially lifelong speech, language and communication skills. Accessing speech therapy via Telehealth is often helpful to get access to services as soon as possible, and avoid waitlists that can be up to 12-18 months in length! The longer we wait to act, unfortunately the less successful therapy can be, and the long-term impacts of a communication difficulty can start to surface or worsen.

What happens if we do not get help for our children’s speech difficulties?

My recent blog focused specifically on speech sound development, and what is normal or expected in the early preschool years.  We will now talk about what may happen if we do not get help for, or delay access to, support for speech sound or speech clarity issues.

There are strong links between speech sound difficulties and delays in literacy development. This is because children are taught to spell words based on what they hear - so, for example, if a child says “wed” instead of “red”, they will write the word “wed” when they start writing.

 Well before literacy impacts can be noticed, children with unclear speech can have difficulty playing and interacting with friends and peers. If peers don’t understand your child’s speech, your child may have difficulty expressing their wants and needs in play; and can even have trouble getting their wants and needs met by caregivers.

It also gets much trickier to correct speech difficulties as the child gets older. Unfortunately, the older they get, the more “practice” they have saying certain sounds and words incorrectly.

What next?

 I am so passionate about early intervention and giving children the best opportunity to overcome potentially lifelong speech difficulties. This is why I offer free 10-minute consultations with parents to talk through any concerns about your child’s speech. After this phone call, you will know whether a speech pathology assessment is warranted - or if your child’s speech skills are actually normal for their age.

Get in touch to ease your concerns, and ensure your child has the best chance of becoming a successful communicator for life. I am also very happy to discuss the incredible success and benefits of Telehealth support for fast and effective access to speech pathology intervention.