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Changing Young Lives Through Pediatric Speech Therapy

By Cornelia White


One of the things that a child is expected to adapt and adopt as he or she grows older is a language, typically that of the society in which the child is being raised. This phase of growth and development accompanied by language acquisition seems fairly logical, simple and effortless for many. This is because in most cases, a child will master the use of a language gradually and develop fluency over time. Sometimes however this can prove challenging and this is where pediatric speech therapy becomes useful.

Therapy to enable better oral communication in children is carried out by specialists who have been trained in the field.This type of treatment often involves an exploration of the potential causes of the challenge. For the most part the causes stem from physical or emotional barriers. A good speech therapist will take this factor into consideration prior to evaluating the patient.

Most linguists support the theory that language production is essentially the result of a collaboration between the brain and the language related body parts. They also recognize that it is an intricate process.Disruptions in this process are usually related to cognitive deficiencies. These deficiencies manifest themselves as psychological barriers to speech.

In some cases, the child was progressing well in acquiring and using the language but suddenly stopped. In these cases traumatic events such as accidents, abuse or death of a loved one are investigated. The investigation often takes the form of an interview with the interviewees being the child as well as the guardians. The therapist, in this case, will apply a variety of coaching methods designed to coax the patient into becoming more comfortable with language use again.

Mental or learning disabilities also affect the pace and level of language acquisition in a child. Conditions like Autism and Verbal Apraxia pose challenges to children as they try to use language. The fact that most of these disorders originate in the brain accounts for the associated language deficiencies. Speech therapists are able to help these children cope with the challenges of learning to use oral language.

Misshapen teeth or other structural problems in the oral cavity are typically the most obvious causes of barriers to speaking. Many times they are the result of developmental lapses that occur during the fetal stage. At other times they may be caused by physical trauma sustained in accidents or by some other violent means.

When the underlying cause is a physical one, one of the first approaches is to determine whether surgical procedures may remedy the situation. This is why these types of therapists often form close associations with surgeons who specialize in language related procedures. Therapy is still required after surgery to help the child overcome the psychological hurdle.

All stakeholders in the development, nurturing and care of children must pay attention to one critical fact of childhood language acquisition challenges. That fact is essentially that pediatric speech therapy may be the solution you need if you are caring for a child with language use problems. It can make a world of a difference in terms of the social development of an individual.




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