A doctor is not around to check if you are taking your medicines on time, right? The same happens for speech therapists. A specialist therapist suggests some vocal exercises and training routines for the person suffering from speech impairment. But the therapist is not always around to check if these exercises are being done on time and correctly as well. It is the job of people close to the person to track this matter. They need to pick up the basics of speech therapy from the therapist engaged for the purpose so that they are able to spot mistakes and help the person correct them.
For children, parents usually handle this job. Experts at our end here at Speech Plus suggest that parents, at least one of them, visit the speech therapy clinic with their child. This will help them pick up some nuances about the process and understand the rationale for the exercise regimen. When they understand the purpose of these exercises, they will be able to figure out if they are being done correctly. It is natural for the child to try and skip some parts of the exercise because they are more difficult or tiresome. If the parent is around when the speech therapist explains it all to the child, they can quickly learn the process and keep tab on it at home.
Some exercise routines need to be maintained by the child throughout. Whenever they speak, they have to be particular about certain pronunciations or speak in a certain manner. Parents have to be aware of these matters because they are the only ones who can keep a close watch if the child is following these guidelines. Moreover, if the exercises are not working for the child or there are some other complications, the parents can ask for immediate help from the professional speech therapist. A hands-on involvement is what is necessary for the child to derive maximum benefit from a speech therapy program.
Parents can contribute toward the speech therapy program as well. With their involvement in the process, they can point out the areas of strength and weakness in the child. These may be difficult for the child to shed light on because of their lack of awareness. Parents can quickly answer pointed questions about the residual speech ability of the child so that the therapist is able to chalk out a plan of action. Without this involvement of the parents, the speech and voice therapist has to hunt a way through dark patches where professional skill or expertise may not be so useful.