It depends on the problem the child is working on. Children can see a speech therapist once a week or several times a week. Treatment may last a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. If you have speech problems, the best advice is to practice, practice.
Many children who need speech therapy have an articulation or phonological processing disorder. The typical time to correct a difference in speech is 15 to 20 hours (Jacoby et al, 200), and the typical frequency for joint treatment is twice a week for 30-minute sessions (ASHA, 200). Based on this information, it could be assumed that if the disorder were mild to moderate, with the child constantly attending treatment and families practicing their homework between sessions, the total duration of treatment could be about four to five months. The actual treatment time will also depend on the number of sound errors that are being addressed in the treatment plan.
The more erroneous sounds there are, the longer the treatment lasts. It will usually take at least a couple of weeks for the SLP to establish a working relationship with your child and develop a routine. After that point, the therapist should inform you of the high-priority objectives and give you instructions on how you can be useful and reinforce the progress achieved in the sessions. The bottom line is that it's very difficult to say definitely how long speech therapy takes to work.
A much-cited 2002 study indicated that approximately 14 hours of therapy are needed, on average, to achieve significant progress in improving speech clarity. Of course, this is a very approximate number and wouldn't apply directly to gains in expressive language or fluency. However, you should see progress after a block of sessions and it's important for parents to be actively involved in therapy. Understanding the factors mentioned above that affect the length of treatment can also help parents manage their own expectations regarding therapy.
Speech delays in children can be caused by a variety of reasons. Your child may have an oral disability, such as problems with the tongue or palate (the roof of the mouth). A short frenulum (the crease under the tongue) can also cause speech problems, as it can limit the movement of the tongue and prevent your child from speaking properly. Many children have speech delays due to buomotor problems.
This means that they have difficulty coordinating their lips and tongues to make the sounds of speech. Finally, speech delays can also be due to hearing problems. Without good hearing, the child will not understand sounds well, making them difficult to imitate. If your child doesn't react when you talk to him, it could be a sign that he needs to see a specialist.
At 12 months of age, your child should be able to use some gestures, such as pointing, waving, and nodding. These are signs that your child understands communication and has rudimentary skills about how to communicate with you. When you maximize the success of remote speech therapy for your child, you have a better chance of helping to maintain your child's motivation. If you have any questions about the seriousness of a speech or language problem, have your child examined or evaluated by a qualified local speech therapist.
The first two weeks of therapy are usually spent with the therapist and your child establishing a relationship and routine. This gives you peace of mind knowing that the therapist you choose to work with is qualified to meet your child's speech and language needs. The better you understand the factors mentioned above, the better you can manage your expectations about the duration of your child's speech teletherapy. You don't always need to work with a clinical expert in every case, but don't hesitate to ask the therapist to demonstrate their knowledge base and level of experience for the specific speech or language challenge your child is facing.
In addition, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) helps ensure the clinical competence of all certified therapists through its Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC). This estimate relates only to speech clarity and does not apply to improvements in expressive language or fluency. Therefore, after all, it's quite difficult to predict with certainty how long your child's speech therapy will last. When you have any particular concerns related to your child's development, you should refer your child to a full evaluation.
However, in general, the more severe the speech problem, the more therapy you are likely to need. Therapy and Wellness Connection is a leading and innovative provider of speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, individualized education and complementary support services in Cleveland for children and young adults with a wide range of delays, disorders and disabilities. .
