Bad habits are so hard to break. I was a smoker for about 30 years and couldn't seem to break the habit no matter what I tried. Every now and then, I was able to quite for a few weeks, but then, when I started smoking again, I smoked far more than I did before I quit. It wasn't until I accepted the fact that my smoking was a real problem and reached out for professional help with quitting. I started going to counseling and learned a lot about my bad habits and why it was so hard for me to give them up. This blog is all about counseling to break bad habits.
If your child is showing signs of speech-language development issues, you've likely discussed speech therapy with their pediatrician. If you're considering speech therapy for your child but are unsure of what it's all about, it's important to understand the common myths associated with it and the truths behind them.
Myth #1: The More Frequent the Therapy, the Better
Speech therapy is a speech-language development tool that is used to fit the needs of each individual child.
Some children attend sessions once a month while others attend several times a week. Your child's needs will dictate the number of sessions your child's therapist schedules. If you feel as if your child might benefit from more frequent sessions, talk to your child's therapist to see what they think. It's important to remember that while these sessions can appear fun, your child is actually performing extremely difficult tasks, which can be tiring. Frequent sessions may cause your child to overtire and can even cause them to revert back to their pre-therapy communication skills if pushed too hard.
Myth #2: Therapy Should Be Left to the Professionals
While it's never a good idea to evaluate and diagnose your child by yourself, parents play a huge role in their children's speech therapy.
When your child is struggling with something as essential as speech and language, leaving it behind at the office until the next therapy session isn't a likely option. While parents certainly shouldn't be pushing their child extensively or creating their own treatment plans, working with your child on pre-approved exercises is highly encouraged. The more involved parents become in their child's therapy sessions, the better outcome for all involved.
Myth #3: Individual Therapy is Always Better than Group Therapy
Communication is a social skill. While not every child will thrive in a group therapy setting, there are certainly good reasons for its use.
If your child is being treated in a school setting, they may attend both individual and group therapy. The individual therapy sessions will focus on furthering of your child's speech goals, while the group therapy sessions can be a great way for your child to directly use what they're learning. If you're worried that group therapy sessions aren't helping your child or even causing harm, discuss your concerns with your child's therapist. It may even be a good idea to sit in on a group session to see what they're all about and how they benefit the children.
To learn more about speech-language therapy programs like ABC Pediatric Therapy in your area, consult with your pediatrician. Even if your child's issues aren't severe, speech-language therapy can offer the help they need to better develop necessary communication skills.
Share27 August 2015
