Thursday, July 31, 2014

Learn About Speech Therapy Tampa

By Imelda Reid


No parents wants to think that their child has a developmental delay. However, for many families every year this is something they have to face. The key to handling and overcoming any issue is education. The family must make a commitment to helping and learn everything they can to be of assistance. Working hand in hand with school personnel, therapists and other specialists will make all the difference.

Many children begin talking between the age of one and two. There is a tremendous difference between each individual. Some children will be speaking in sentences by about eighteen months, whilst others may only use a few words. If the parents suspect a problem it is best to make an appointment with an experience speech therapy Tampa office.

Before they are a year old children can receive enormous benefits from working with a therapist. They can be encouraged to participate in simple exercises that help to strengthen their mouth and tongue muscles. The tongue is a key component in effective speech and must be trained to work effectively. Breath control is also very important and there are many fun activities that youngsters enjoy that will help them develop the important skills to become talkers.

Using a simple bottle of bubbles is one of the best ways to help a child learn to control the air in their lungs. In order to blow a bubble the child must take a deep breath, and release a slow but constant stream of air. If it is too much or too little they will not achieve a bubble. This is a great motivator for many children and also allows siblings to help and participate.

Even those children who are not talking will often understand what is said to them and react accordingly. This is a good way to gauge weather other issues are present that may also need to be addressed. Lack of spoken language can be an indicator of additional issues such as autism and childhood apraxia of speech.

It is vital that the parents keep in touch with the therapists and help their child at home. No matter how much work is done in school, it must continue through the long vacations, especially summer. Most therapists are very good at helping parents and putting together supplemental work to solidify skills and prevent regression. Children should also be exposed to as much language as possible, either through books or by playing with other children.

At times progress may seem slow, but the family should always remain optimistic and celebrate every small step. For a child with a severe problem progress may be measured in months or years rather than weeks. This can be frustrating but as long as the parents can still see progress they must keep working and offer every available support to their child.

Having the power of spoken language is one of the most powerful tools for anyone to have. Giving up the time and effort to help a child is well worth it and eventually the parents will see the reward for all their work. The first time their child says the words I love you they will know the efforts have paid off.




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