How Long Will My Child Be In Speech Therapy?
Can you guess the question we get asked most often? It’s: “How long will my child be in speech therapy?”
That’s a tough question for us to answer because there are so many factors that go into answering it. It’s hard for us to predict the future. That said, there are several things we look at to give us the best idea of how long your child will need therapy.
1. Age.
One important factor is the child’s age. The kids that we see earlier, so that we can do more of an early intervention, often move through their therapy more quickly. The kids that start later may need to take longer to achieve the skills they need to catch up.
2. Complexity.
Sometimes a child might have more than one underlying factor. They might have autism in addition to a language delay, or they might also have articulation problems. When there’s more than one area of language that has to be addressed, therapy can take longer.
3. Severity.
We also look at the severity of the disorder. Kids who have more severe delays or disorders might take longer to develop the skills they need to be successful or functional in life.
4. Frequency and consistency.
The frequency of therapy is another important factor. How many times they come in per week, and how consistent they are with attending therapy sessions is a big factor in a child’s progress, and how long they’re in therapy.
5. Homework.
One of the biggest factors for how long your child will need to be in therapy is the carryover of therapy into the home. It’s so helpful for your child to be doing the home exercise activities at home, and getting the chance to generalize these skills outside of the therapy setting. The kids who are really good about carrying over home strategies and completing home programs tend to see a lot better progress.
If you have any additional requests for activities to take place at home, to help your child generalize these skills outside the therapy environment, don’t hesitate to give us a call here at the clinic! We want your child to complete therapy as much as you do!
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