There can be many reasons for delay in speech and language development of a child - conditions like Cerebral Palsy, autism, hearing loss, developmental delays. Sometimes children may comprehend the language but fail to communicate due to difficulty in their speech; in other cases they may find challenge in making hand gestures and facial expressions.
Speech therapy is a clinical program designed to improve language skills and motor abilities. It involves treatment of speech and communication disorders. Children may have different speech and language problems. For example children who are able to talk but need to work on clearer speech or building language by learning new words, speak in sentences or learning skills. Children who cannot talk can learn sign languages. Speech therapists may use special equipments which speak for them. Children who can talk but struggle with communication issues like facial expression or use of gestural language.
Speech therapists use different methods to work speech and language issues depending upon the challenge.
For articulation problems speech therapists may use popsicle sticks, fingers, whistles, straws to help child gain control over the muscles of the mouth, tongue or throat.
These are disruptions in the fluency of speech and are also called “disfluencies”. For example some words are repeated and others preceded by “um” or “uh’. It impedes communication when too many of them are produced while speaking.
