According to our experts at Speech Plus, speech therapy can be conducted individually as well as in groups. There are pros and cons to both these processes. In this post, we will discuss about some of them. You have to understand that the process needed for a child is decided none other than the demands of the child and the speech therapist in question. There is no rule to regulate it. It is a call taken by the therapist on what will work best for the child. It will be wrong to conclude that individual therapy is always good for the child, even group speech therapy is very beneficial for children.
That brings us to the question of, why is group speech therapy needed at all when parents have the option of arranging individual sessions with a therapist? The answer is simpler than you think! Many children are uncomfortable opening up to a single therapist, sitting one to one. They become self-conscious and rigid in their behavior. These are not encouraging signs for a therapist. Ideally, a speech therapy session should have complete and willing participation from the child. Otherwise, it will not be successful. If the child feels shaky about individual sessions, do not push the case.
Group sessions take away the pressure to perform from the child. As a result, they are more open and active about participating in the process. Moreover, there are a couple of other children, probably of the same age bracket, taking the therapy as well. They have peers to share their fears and concerns. The learning process becomes less stressful. Anyone who has any idea of speech disorders will know that stress aggravates the problem. It is important for the child to stay relaxed. Group therapies afford that privilege. The speech therapists is not always working with the child, enabling them to soak in other lessons that are taught to children in the same group.
Individual sessions have their advantages, too. The single-most important one is the fact that the therapist pays all the attention to a single child. This undivided attention brings out subtle problems and nuances of speech that the child is struggling to control. The therapist is more aware of what is going on with the child’s progress and can track it easily. Individual sessions can help the child bring out their fears without feeling the fear of being judged or laughed at. It is also a time when the child can express their problems in their own words, giving the therapist a chance to have a rare insight into the child’s mind. This is important to resolve speech impairment.
As obvious, both sides of the coin are equally shiny! You can get in touch with team at Speech Plus to find out what is appropriate for your child.