If you are a parent who has not had any experience with speech therapy services for your child, the process can seem quite overwhelming. From the moment you begin having concerns about your child to finding a site for services to having an evaluation completed, there are many questions to answer. After you have navigated through the above steps, the next part of the journey is the speech therapy sessions themselves. You may be wondering, “What do therapy sessions look like?” and “What should I expect during the first session?” Below you will find information to help answer these questions and more.
While in the waiting room, you may wonder if you should accompany your child to the treatment room or have your child exert independenc and go on his own. This is a question that is best directed to the child’s specific clinician. There are many factors that affect the answer to this question including the child’s age, level of attachment, and ability to actively participate in treatment tasks.
The session is over and the clinician has reviewed the content of the session with you, or you were present in the room to experience it firsthand and you are receiving feedback from the clinician. Now what? Ask questions, such as “How can I support my child’s speech goals at home?” The clinician should provide practice tips and activities for you to complete at home with your child.
Speech therapy sessions are not meant to be a mysterious or overwhelming event, but rather a supportive and inclusive experience for your child and your family. If you think your child may have speech and/or language difficulties, consult the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to find a speech language pathologist in your area.
Source
North Shore Pediatric Therapy
