How Does Speech Language Pathology Help Students?

There are many schools around the country that have special needs children. These children fit under the vast umbrella of special needs. Not all children in this category, however, have cognitive issues. Some of them simply have physical or motor skill problems. Each child with developmental concerns faces individual issues. This is the main reason that every case be treated specially.

Dealing with the specific needs of each child allows them to succeed to the best of their ability. For many special needs children, their primary issue is verbal. These students simply lack proper verbal skills. Some communicate poorly, while others are unable to communicate at all. These children are often able to perform most other functions that other students do.

Teachers in most schools are equipped with an arsenal of lesson plans, worksheets, and rubrics. They are not able to deal with the issues that special needs children require. In these situations, professional assistance is necessary. This is especially true as it relates to speech therapists or pathologists.

Some parents wonder if speech language pathology will help students. This fact has been proven for many years. These pathologists teach children verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. This allows them to function in an improved manner. There have been many cases where speech therapy has transformed a child's life. These are children who no longer have speech challenges.

Non-verbal forms of communication are used in a number of cases. These are children that are severely handicapped and may not improve. In other cases, these are children that must be taught in a step-by-step approach. They simply begin with non-verbal skills only to move on to verbal training.

Verbal skills are required for special needs children for a host of reasons. There could be development problems from birth for some students. Other students have undergone some sort of traumatic experience. This could be as a result of an accident or a surgery. Speech pathologists sometimes work with students who were once able to talk. They also work with those who are just learning for the first time.

The specialized treatment of speech pathologists is extremely valuable. When this treatment is successful it has the ability of completely changing a child's life. They may experience a future that was never expected for them. For some they will realize a sense of independence that they have not had before.

Students are able to perform better in their classroom settings. The communication skills that they learn through speech pathology will follow them throughout life. This is most often a very long journey. Parents and children should realize that these processes require long term investment. Speech patterns do not often change overnight. But they can improve with patience and dedication.

Speech pathologists do not deal solely with patients with developmental issues or accident survivors. They treat patients that have more minor speech concerns. These concerns include slurred speech, impediments, and stuttering. They are experts in their field and work hard to help students communicate on their own.

More Information On Speech and Language Therapy

1. National Speech/Language Therapy Center
2. Speech Dynamics Incorporated