Building Strong Voices: The Benefits of Speech Therapy in Kindergarten

Role Of Speech Therapy In Early Childhood

At birth, a child’s brain is a work in progress. It develops as they grow by experiencing the world through their five senses, which are seeing, tasting, touching or feeling, and smelling. Natural, simple, and loving encounters with adults help in this process.

Children with developmental delays often face challenges in communication, social skills, and various activities. Early intervention is essential to effectively support and guide these children towards appropriate development.

Benefits Of Speech Therapy In Early Childhood

Brain Plasticity

• The first 3 years of a child are very crucial as the majority of their speech and development occurs during that phase.
• At this age, the brain is more plastic and more capable of being changed than at any other point in life.
• Pediatric therapists are specially trained to take advantage of this brain’s early-age plasticity.
• Therapy during these years is highly effective because therapists can identify and address developmental delays before they grow into more difficulties later in life.

Early Elimination

• It can help prevent the development of more severe problems at a later stage.
• Children with speech delay may struggle to communicate with their peers, which may lead to isolation and frustration.
• An SLP (speech-language pathologist) can help parents evaluate and provide personalized therapy plans.

According to Journal of Pediatrics, children with special education needs who underwent speech therapy made noticeable improvement in lingusistic skills with early intervention compared to those without eary action

Improving Communication Skills

• Speech delay may significantly impact a child’s development, including their social interactions, academic performance, and self-esteem.
• The earlier the child receives support and therapy, the greater their chances to catch up with their peers and improve their development.
• Speech therapy helps children to express their feelings and thoughts more effectively.

Develop Compensatory Strategies

• Working on non-verbal communication, such as gestures, facial expressions, sign language, eye contact, writing, etc., can help the child communicate with others.
• If a child has specific sounds being used consistently, making them meaningful also helps them communicate.
• Teaching compensatory strategies helps to reduce a child’s frustration with communication difficulties and helps others understand them better.

Role Of Parents

• Engage in interactive play with the child, such as playing with dolls, soft toys, or building blocks that require communication.
• Reading to the child can help expand their vocabulary and improve their language understanding. Make sure to choose age-appropriate books and read them regularly.
• Singing simple songs with repetitive lyrics to the child will help improve their speech and language skills. It also enhances their memory and attention.
• Non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions, can help support the child’s understanding of language and improve their communication ability.

What Is Early Intervention Speech Language Therapy?

Every child is unique, and even siblings can develop their skills at different rates. Early intervention through speech therapy can greatly influence a child’s communication abilities and overall development.

Addressing speech and language issues at an early stage helps prevent potential academic, social, and emotional challenges later in life. Early therapy equips children with the skills they need to communicate effectively, build better relationships, and enhance their confidence. Identifying speech and language problems early allows for the creation of a personalized therapy plan tailored to the child’s specific needs.

This proactive approach can help children overcome communication barriers and improve their learning abilities and cognitive development. Recognizing the signs that your child may need speech therapy and seeking professional assistance promptly can significantly impact their growth and future success.

Early intervention sets a strong foundation for lifelong communication skills, enabling children to thrive in all areas of their lives.

Speech Therapy Sessions At Wonder Cubs

At Wondercub, we specialize in providing comprehensive speech and language therapy to children of all ages. We understand that each child is unique and has specific needs, so we take a personalized approach to therapy.

Communication skills involving listening, speaking, observing, and empathizing are one of the most important and essential aspects of human life. Being able to express is one of the most vital achievements. However, there could be certain instances when a child struggles to reach his speech milestones and cannot communicate efficiently.

That is where Speech therapy becomes significant. Let’s investigate what speech therapy is and how it works.

What Is Speech Therapy And How It Works?

Speech therapy is a treatment method consisting of techniques and activities designed to improve a child’s overall communication by addressing delays and disorders in understanding/responding to language, oral motor dysfunction, apraxia of speech, oral motor dysfunction, stuttering, social language, feeding and swallowing, and cognitive skills.

Various strategies used by therapists are:

Articulation Therapy

• Articulation disorder is a child’s inability to make sound syllables or say words incorrectly to the point that the listener does not understand what is said.
• Sound production or Articulation exercises involve the therapist voicing correct sounds and syllables in words/sentences for the child while engaging in play activities.
• Play activities will be age-appropriate and related to the child’s specific needs.
• The SLP will demonstrate to the child how to make certain sounds, such as tongue movements, while making specific sounds.

Physiotherapy

• By helping children improve their motor skills, therapists will be able to improve their fine motor skills and support speech.
• Improving motor skills helps to coordinate actions with words.
• Motor skill planning assists with fluency and helps the child to plan and put it into words.

Language Modelling

• The SLP interacts with the child by playing and talking, using pictures and objects, choosing age-appropriate books, or taking them to events to stimulate language development.
• The therapist models correct vocabulary and grammar and uses repetitive exercises to build language skills.

Facial Massages

• Facial muscle weakness or asymmetry can affect speech, facial expressions, and overall facial aesthetics.
• Oral motor therapist addresses these concerns by targeting specific facial muscles, strength, and coordination for improved function and appearance.
• Facial massages include lip and tongue strengthening exercises to help manage excessive drooling and restore confidence in social situations.

Play-Based Activities

• Young children learn best through play.
• Our Speech Language Therapists work with young children and involve age-appropriate play activities that are fun, exciting, and engaging.
• Activities like pretend play, building blocks/Legos, picture search, memory games, and card games like GO FISH and Hide and Seek are the best play-based activities.

Voice Therapy

• Voice disorders affect the larynx (sound box) and cause consistent or inconsistent changes in the voice.
• Voice therapy aids in treating voice disorders by modifying vocal habits and promoting recovery of the vocal cords.
• The voice therapist provides guidance through exercises to eliminate wrong vocal behaviors and promote healthy vocal habits.
• The exercises may vary depending on each child’s need and may include breathing exercises, tension release exercises, and voice-building exercises.

Feeding & Swallowing Therapy

• Speech therapy involves oral and swallow therapy for children with swallowing difficulties. The SLP may use a variety of oral exercises, including facial massages and different tongue, lips, and jaw exercises, to strengthen the muscles around the mouth that help in eating, drinking, and swallowing.
• The SLP may introduce different food textures and foods at different temperature levels to increase a child’s oral awareness during eating and swallowing.

Speech therapy can help children of all ages and abilities communicate more effectively, but it provides best results on early intervention.

At WONDERCUBS, our team of highly experienced Speech-Language Pathologists provides support for toddlers facing various communication challenges. We specialize in helping children with speech delays, language disorders, and other speech-related issues. Our services also address oral motor dysfunction, apraxia of speech, stuttering, social language skills, as well as feeding, swallowing, and cognitive skills.