Fact or Fiction?: Speech Therapy for Kids

By Team Therapy Smarts 

What started as a standard check-up has taken an unexpected turn, as your pediatrician makes a recommendation for speech therapy for your child. Here at Therapy Smarts, we’ve spoken with plenty of parents about that pivotal moment. While their emotions ranged from surprised to reassured, the very first thing they did upon leaving the doctor’s office was often the same — going straight to Google. 

As a parent, it’s understandable to want to know as much as possible about any potential diagnosis your child may experience. Unfortunately, misinformation is everywhere — and it thrives on exaggeration, and outright fiction. So, if you’ve recently received a referral, or are considering a speech therapy evaluation for your child, our therapists are here with some of the major facts (and fictions!) of the discipline. 

Fiction: My Child’s Delay is My Fault

Let’s debunk parent-shaming first and foremost— if your child is experiencing a delay, it is not your fault. There are plenty of rumors swirling around that attempt to place the cause on the parents, each of which is untrue. 

One popular myth insists that speech is delayed because the parent used “baby-talk” for too long. In fact, using a higher-pitched tone and simple phrases is more likely to engage your baby — and at a young age, any communication is always better than none. Using baby-talk does not make it any likelier that your child will experience a speech delay. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, another parent-shaming misconception is that teaching your child multiple languages will cause a speech delay, because it is “too much” at once. This is untrue. Children have a greater capacity to learn new sounds, words and meaning within their youngest years and are no more likely to develop a speech or language delay. Ultimately, learning more than one language will benefit them.

Fiction: My Child Will Grow Out of a Speech Delay

For every parent concerned about their child’s language development, there’s at least one family member, friend or neighbor with a story about a child that “just grew out of it.” While these people often have good intentions, and some children will grow out of these delays, every child is different, and it is impossible to know which camp your child will fall in. 

While the “wait and see” approach may seem tempting, early intervention is critical, particularly for language delays. Since reading and language skills build on each other, the longer these delays go without intervention, the further behind a child will fall on their critical milestones. Having the expert opinion of a speech therapist will give you answers and peace of mind. 

Fiction: Speech Therapy is Only For Stutters or Lisps

Improving communication is the major goal of all speech therapists— and while stutters and lisps are one reason this skill may be delayed for a child, they are far from the only root cause. Children may be referred to a speech therapist for a diverse array of conditions, including: 

  • Apraxia: A neurological condition where the brain cannot sequence the sounds & motions of the mouth to communicate what a child intends.  

  • Dyslexia: A learning disability primarily impacting the ability to read and spell. 

  • Feeding Disorders: Conditions causing a child to struggle with chewing and swallowing 

  • Voice Disorders: Conditions that affect the quality of a child’s voice (hoarse, breathy, strained). 

Based on an initial evaluation, a speech therapist is trained to identify potential causes of a delay. Based on their knowledge, and your input on the skills your child needs assistance with, they will build a treatment plan designed specifically to address your child’s unique needs.

These are only the beginning! Check out the video below from our lead speech therapist, Ms. Katie, for more major myths about speech therapy!

Exhausting, right? All this wrong information can create a tidal wave of conflicting news that leads to panic, more often than answers. Our therapists are experienced in debunking many of these myths — and below, we’ve shared some of our top facts about the speech therapy discipline.

Fact: Speech Therapy Improves Functional Communication

The goal of speech therapy is simple — functional communication. Can your child be understood in the world around him or her? How each child reaches that goal will vary based on their unique needs. Additionally, functional communication is not always just “talking”. 

The most common question our therapists are asked is “When will my child speak?” While this is understandably important to many parents, there are multiple ways to communicate. Whether through facial expression, gestures or an assistive communication device, such as a speech tablet, this is your child’s unique voice. 

Using any of these aids does not make it less likely that your child will learn to speak. In fact, an AAC device can lower their communication frustration. Once they are able to express themselves, they can focus their attention on connecting sounds and meanings. Want to learn more about AAC communication? Check out this article.

Fact: Speech Therapy Helps Reading, Writing and More

Speech therapy, on its face, seems solely focused on addressing speech disorders and delays. However, it can also be critical in addressing learning delays, such as dyslexia. While the specific area your child struggles with can differ, it often comes down to a disconnect in communication. A speech therapist can evaluate your child for symptoms of a learning disability and create a treatment plan designed to bridge the gap. 

In the case of a child with dyslexia, a speech therapist can work with the child on their listening comprehension and phonological awareness — which is the ability to manipulate the individual sounds within words. Many children with dyslexia may replace one class of speech sounds with another (such as replacing “s” sounds with “t” sounds). 

Fact: Speech Therapy is for Any Age

Some parents, upon seeing a speech or language condition that is impacting their child, may be concerned that it is “too late” to intervene. While early intervention is valuable when possible, kids of any age can benefit from speech therapy. For example, older children might benefit most from targeting specific scenarios where they will need to use their voice— such as in social situations, or when public speaking. 

Pediatric speech therapy can treat kids with a wide range of disorders and delays, from stutters and lisps to dyslexia and feeding disorders. With a parent’s unique input and the guidance of an expert speech therapist, children of all ages can start down the path to turn their challenges into triumphs. 

Think speech therapy may benefit your child? Give us a call to schedule an evaluation at (919) 378-1340.