Speech Pathologist: Correcting Your Child's Communication ...
If your child has not been showing normal signs of speech development or improvement in communication skills that are normal for his or her age, you should discuss the issue with your paediatrician at the earliest. If you are able to get the problem diagnosed early, it can be set right with the help of a qualified and experienced speech pathologist.
Undiagnosed and untreated speech disorders can lead to emotionally and socially crippling breakdown of communication skills that extends well into adulthood. One in every 7 Australians is said to be battling a communication disability. More than half a million school going children in Australia have difficulty in understanding and using language effectively and a number just slightly less than that show signs of delayed speech.
You might have already been told that your child might benefit with some sessions with a speech therapist or pathologist. So what exactly does a speech pathologist do? A textbook definition would describe him or her as one who is trained to assess the level of communication disability and treat it effectively using various proven methods.
Effective communication involves 5 important aspects: speech, writing, reading, sign language, gestures and symbols. You can say that your child is able to communicate effectively if the child is able to understand and is understood by others. If your child shows any of the following signs of difficulty in communication, you might have to consult a speech pathologist:
? Is unable to speak clearly and struggles to find the right words
? Does not understand language and gets distracted easily
? Has trouble with his voice and cannot be heard at times
? Is unable to hear clearly
? Does not show any interest in reading or writing and is unable to comprehend written sentences
? Withdraws from company and shows no interest in making new acquaintances
? Shows signs of aggression caused by frustration
? Needs directions to be issued repeatedly
Speech pathologists are normally associated with childcare centres, primary schools, hospitals and nursing homes, universities, rehabilitation and community health centres, metal health organisations, and in private clinics. Their expertise extends to treating communication disabilities caused by more complex issues like cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and autism.
Depending on your child?s needs, the speech pathologist may recommend individual or home based sessions, small group sessions, or even classroom sessions. To gain a preliminary idea of whether your child is just naturally slow in learning or if there is some other serious underlying problem, get a timeline chart from your paediatrician explaining the normal levels of development at different ages.
The key to getting your child?s development back on track lies in working closely with the speech pathologist and the paediatrician and ensuring that whatever exercises are assigned to the child, are carried out regularly at home. More importantly, remember to be extremely patient with your child and provide him or her with a supportive home that is filled with love and laughter.
Luchito Ruiz writes informative articles whenever he can get time off from his work as a massage therapist. If you would like to get more information on speech pathologists and communication difficulties, visit Speech Pathologist Melbourne.
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