10 Things Your Speech Therapist Wishes You Knew
Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Whether speech therapy is for yourself, your child, or a loved one, there are a few things that your speech-language pathologist wants you to know. From our team of therapists, here’s the inside scoop on how speech therapy works, which myths or advice to ignore, and what you can do to get the best results from therapy.
Key takeaways
Successful speech therapy takes time and consistent practice. Having a parent or loved one supporting you makes a big difference in the rate of progress.
Be wary of claims that a certain vitamin, supplement, educational show, or app can treat speech delay or take the place of speech therapy.
Speech therapists don’t usually recommend the “wait-and-see” approach. There is no downside to getting an evaluation sooner rather than later.
While it may look like a speech therapist is "just playing" with your child, everything they do in sessions has a purpose.
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Find a speech therapist1. Speech therapy takes time.
We all like instant gratification. But there’s no magic pill when it comes to speech therapy. How quickly you see results depends on several factors, such as the severity of the challenge and how often you practice the skills you’re learning.
The truth is, the only way to make progress is with hard work, determination, and regular practice both in and out of speech therapy sessions. We might wish to see big changes after just one or two sessions, but sometimes changes are subtle. As a speech-language pathologist, I might notice progress such as improvements with turn-taking, or sustained eye contact when there wasn’t before. I know it’s easier said than done, but speech therapy works when you stick with it!
How long does speech therapy take? Discover the 3 main factors that affect how long speech therapy lasts.
2. Beware of claims that sound too good to be true.
With a click of the mouse, you can find a sea of products, programs, and people making claims that this vitamin, diet, educational program, or app will help improve your child's speech and language. But for speech therapy to truly work, you need a qualified speech-language pathologist to provide an evaluation. That way the right diagnosis can be made, and then the right evidence-based treatment plan can be created.
One common example I hear often is educational shows and videos for kids. Children may learn some things from certain videos or TV shows. They may even begin imitating words they hear on screen. And that’s great! But functionally using those words in day-to-day situations is very different from imitating the words heard on TV.
Let’s say a toddler imitates a show host saying “Hi!,” but they don’t actually use the word to greet other people. It’s great that your child imitated the word, but we want them to learn how to use that word during everyday life. This is why it’s best for children to learn to talk by interacting with other people in real life, practicing and hearing new words and phrases in the moment.
3. You need to do your homework.
Let’s say you wanted to learn to play guitar. So you attend a 30-minute lesson, but you don’t pick up the guitar again until the next weekly lesson. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you hadn’t made any progress—or even forgot some of what you’d learned. Now imagine repeating this week after week. It would quickly become a waste of everyone’s time and energy, and you’d likely grow frustrated.
How do you avoid this in speech therapy? By completing the home practice activities that your speech therapist assigns between sessions. You could have the best speech therapist in the world, but if nothing is practiced outside of sessions, progress won’t happen the way you want it to.
With work, school, and other activities, it can be tough to fit in speech practice. Get easy tips to add speech practice into your child’s daily routine.
4. A support system makes a big difference!
Speech therapists know that when a client has a solid support system—someone (or someones!) who consistently shows up and participates in their speech therapy—they’re more likely to make progress. And they do it at a faster rate, too.
A support system can be a parent, caregiver, adult child, spouse, sibling, best friend, or even a co-worker. Basically, it’s anyone you feel comfortable with and who’s committed to your success. Your speech therapist can show them how to continue helping you outside of sessions. For example, research shows that parent involvement is a major factor in how quickly kids make progress in speech therapy.
Whether you're a caregiver or simply supporting a friend or family member, here are 4 tips for helping your loved one in speech therapy.
5. It’s usually not a good idea to “wait and see.”
Speech therapists don’t usually recommend the “wait-and-see” approach.
Some children may be “late bloomers,” and their speech delay isn’t a cause for alarm. But until that’s confirmed by a professional, we can never assume it’s the case. Similarly, some adults may experience a head injury or stroke and recover well. However, if you have any concerns at all, it’s never too early or late to speak with a speech-language pathologist. There’s no downside to having an evaluation to confirm that everything is progressing as it should.
Waiting runs the risk of delaying needed treatment. It also puts children at risk of being delayed longer, or even more severely. Children's speech and language skills build on one another. A delay in meeting milestones now may affect the ability to gain skills 6 months down the road (and beyond.)
Parents often have questions about when their child should begin speech therapy. Get the facts about what age is best for starting speech therapy.
6. Baby sign language won't keep your child from learning to talk
Many people mistakenly believe that if you teach a child to use signs, they won't be motivated to use words. This is a common myth, but it couldn’t be further from the truth! If anything, teaching a young child sign language, along with a verbal model (saying the word), promotes language development.
Remember, before children say their first words, they express their needs using nonverbal communication: crying, pointing, gesturing, etc. Teaching your baby simple signs and gestures enables them to express their wants and needs more easily than learning to say words. Using the sign for “more” is a lot easier for a child who hasn’t even said “Mama” yet. And often, the more tools a child has to help them communicate, the less likely they’ll resort to unwanted behaviors (think tantrums!).
As a child starts to talk more, the use of gestures typically fade out. But in the meantime, wouldn't you rather your child make the sign for “all done” than throw the rest of their food on the floor?
7. Everything we do has a purpose—even if it just looks like playing.
In my years as a speech-language pathologist, I’ve heard clients say, “We used to go to speech therapy but stopped because they didn’t actually do anything. They were just playing with my child,” or “The speech therapist was just sitting with my mom.” For many people, speech and language progress can’t be made by doing worksheets at a desk. Speech therapy is about integrating strategies into your everyday life. Your speech therapist should explain your therapy goals and the strategies used to achieve them.
If you’re a caregiver of a child receiving therapy, rest assured: When we spend a session stacking blocks and knocking them down, we’re not just playing! We may be targeting important language goals such as following multi-step directions or learning words like "up" and "down." And if you are a loved one of an adult receiving therapy, when we’re sitting with your parent or spouse, we might be pausing to help them process language so they can generate an appropriate response. Your speech therapist is constantly getting information from everything they do in a session.
Through playing, kids explore their environment, develop language skills, and more! Here's how to use play to help your child learn to talk.
8. When we say “language,” we don’t mean English.
Here’s a peek into speech-therapy speak. When we refer to “language,” we’re talking about two types: receptive and expressive. Speech therapy can help people who struggle with either type.
Receptive language is your understanding of language. It’s the skill needed for someone to understand what’s being said. People who have challenges in this area might seem as if they’re not listening or aren’t interested in what someone is saying to them. They may have a hard time following verbal instructions or understanding questions and sentences.
Expressive language refers to the skill of communicating with others verbally, in writing, or with sign language or gestures. People with expressive language challenges may not use the correct grammar or have a large vocabulary. They may speak in short sentences or have a hard time telling stories.
Make the most of your next meeting with your child’s speech therapist with these tips from the experts.
9. We treat more than simply speech.
When you think of speech therapy, you might picture a child who stutters or has a lisp. But speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat people of all ages who have communication disorders, cognitive challenges, and even feeding and swallowing disorders. We offer a wide range of services and support for:
Developmental conditions such as autism
Developmental or speech delays
Learning disabilities (e.g., auditory processing disorder)
Stroke-related problems such as aphasia
Memory/attention problems resulting from a traumatic brain injury
Hearing loss (e.g., aural rehabilitation)
Diseases such as cancer, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis
Neurogenic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease
Cognitive disorders such as dementia
Learn about the causes of speech issues in adults, such as aphasia, dysarthria, Parkinson’s, and dementia, and how speech therapy can help.
10. Speech therapy is for everyone!
There’s no age limit on speech therapy. Everyone can benefit. From a child who needs help with saying their first word, to an adult who needs help with public speaking or word finding, speech therapists can help anyone. It’s never too late to get the tools and support you need to communicate clearly!
If you’re considering speech therapy for yourself or your child, contact Expressable. We offer convenient online speech therapy from home, to people of all ages. Get matched with a speech therapist and schedule your evaluation today.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
