A speech language pathologist or SLP as they are popularly known as, is more than just a speech therapist. The job of a therapist limited to a certain extent. It is more of a practitioner who takes the concerned person through some speech drills and exercises on a regular basis. An SLP, on the other hand, has a more inclusive job description.
Consider this example. A child has already crossed over the age of 2 years without making any noticeable improvement in speaking. In fact, other than a few guttural sounds, there is hardly any word spoken by the child. Alarming trends, for sure! This is the cue for Speech Language Pathologist to step in and figure out what the problem can possibly be. There are some qualified and professional SLPs on our team here at Speech Plus.
In the said example, the approach of the SLP expert has to be thorough. The first point to check is the overall development of the child’s mental faculties with respect to the speaking ability. There may be a mismatch or the mental development may show an equal amount of stunted growth. The SLP will get to the root of this problem to identify what prevents the child from speaking. The diagnosis is half of the job done.
Next, the item on the agenda is to check for speaking milestones and how far they have been achieved, if at all. These are some words and sounds which the child is expected to speak or pronounce by the end of a certain age. If the milestones have not been met, it requires a different kind of approach. It is important to understand the progress made by the child without any external help or therapy.
That way, it becomes easier for the therapist to understand the methods required for the task and their efficacy. If the results are not measured in some quantifiable manner, the SLP expert will find it difficult to hit on a winning formula for the child. That is most important as every child requires an individualized and unique method to solve the speech disorder. Our team at Speech Plus firmly believes in an approach that treats every child like a single and separate identity.
If your child suffers from speech issues or you feel that they are not speaking according to their age or mental faculty, get in touch with Speech Plus now.