Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
When you’re meeting with a professional–whether it’s a doctor appointment or a parent-teacher conference–it’s normal to feel a bit nervous or unsure. You probably have lots of questions on your mind, and you want to make sure you get answers.
If you have a meeting coming up with your child’s speech therapist, it helps to prepare. This way you can get the most out of your time with the speech therapist. A better meeting between the two of you can even benefit your child’s progress!
Here are 5 tips you can use the next time you talk with your child’s speech therapist.
1. Prepare ahead of time
You only have a certain amount of time with your child’s speech therapist, so you want to use that time wisely. That’s where good preparation comes in.
Write down your questions before you meet with the therapist. Bring the list with you, too–it’s fine if you need to check it while you talk. Speech therapists are there to make families feel comfortable and confident in the treatment they’re receiving.
You might also spend some time gathering your thoughts ahead of the session. Prioritize what you want to talk about with the speech therapist. Which of your questions or concerns are most important to you? You can even practice sharing them out loud if it helps you feel better prepared.
2. Be honest about your child’s current abilities
Your speech therapist might ask you about your child’s current speech and language abilities and how they communicate at home. They may ask questions such as, “About how many words is your child using?,” “How often can you understand what your child says?,” or “Does your child get frustrated when they can’t express what they want?”
It’s important to be honest when answering questions like these. Don’t give answers that you think the speech therapist wants to hear. Your speech therapist can provide the best guidance and treatment when they have a full understanding of your child’s abilities.
Your speech therapist can provide the best treatment when they have a full understanding of your child’s abilities.
Of course, your speech therapist interacts with your child, and they can make their own observations. However, we know that children are more comfortable with their caregivers. That means they may communicate differently when they’re at home with family. This is why it’s so important to tell the speech therapist exactly what you notice on an everyday basis.
As therapy goes on, your speech therapist may ask you how home practice went during the past week. If your child had a hard time with their speech homework, or you weren’t able to practice much, let the speech therapist know! Practice is an important factor in how quickly your child meets their goals in speech therapy. So, the therapist needs to know if homework is too challenging, or if it’s tough to fit into your family’s routine.
3. Have specific examples ready
If you have topics in mind that you want to talk about, make sure to have some examples ready. Your speech therapist will likely ask about this. For example, if you tell the therapist that your child is only saying about five words, they’ll want to know what those five words are. It may help to write them down ahead of time and bring them along.
If there was a situation where your child got upset because you couldn’t understand what they were saying, keep that example on hand to discuss with the therapist. They may ask if your child tried to communicate in other ways, such as by gesturing, or what they were doing or saying that was hard to understand.
Moments of communication breakdown are frustrating for everyone involved. But it’s helpful for your child’s speech therapist to know the details, especially if they don’t witness these situations themselves. This way, they can give you ideas and strategies for what to do at home to try to avoid these problems.
4. Ask your child’s speech therapist questions
Questions might pop up in your mind as you talk with the therapist. Or, they may use terms or phrases that you don’t understand. If you have questions, don’t wait. Ask them! No question is ever too silly, so don’t be afraid to speak up. You deserve to have a clear understanding of what your child is working on and how they’re progressing. Speech therapists would much rather you ask than pretend like everything is making sense!
5. Take notes during the appointment
It’s always a good idea to take notes during a meeting with your child’s speech therapist. You may be covering a lot of information, or receive a list of tips and techniques to try with your child at home. Jot them down so you won’t forget. Your speech therapist sees your child a few times a week, but you’re with your child every day. When you understand the skills they’re working on and how to practice at home, your child will make faster progress!
