Three Reasons To Join Your Child In Speech Therapy
You may choose to sign your child up with a speech therapist either because of a pediatrician's recommendation or perhaps because of speech issues that you've noticed. Depending on the child's needs, you may set a schedule in which the child meets with the therapist at regular intervals, such as once per week. While it might be tempting to run errands during these sessions, you should also consider sitting in on them. Many speech therapists who specialize in helping children encourage parents to join the sessions. Here are three reasons that doing so is a smart idea.
You'll Be Able To Better Help At Home
When you attend speech therapy sessions with your child, you'll get a sense of not only the approach that the therapist is taking, but you'll also learn how you can be an asset. For example, the therapist may give your child some tips on how to get a speech issue such as stuttering under control. Stuttering can get worse when the person is excited or stressed, so the therapist may advocate taking some deep breaths, composing some thoughts, and then speaking. At home, when you see that your child is struggling to speak without stuttering, you can remind him or her of these tips.
You'll Gain More Empathy
Even though you likely want to have a high degree of empathy when it comes to your child's speech difficulties, the truth is that you might feel a bit frustrated or even embarrassed by the issue. Even though you might not dare admit it aloud, you could look at your friends' children, notice that they speak with ease, and wonder why your child cannot. When you attend speech therapy with him or her, you'll often gain more empathy. You'll be able to better understand what your child is going through, as well as see the effort that he or she is putting into overcoming the issue.
You Can Assess The Therapist
Provided that you find a reputable and highly rated speech therapist to whom you'll be sending your child, you'll almost certainly be happy with the results. However, there can be cases that a therapist and student's teaching and learning styles contrast, which could make it challenging for your child to get the most out of each session. When you sit in on the therapy sessions, you can assess how the therapist is doing to affirm that you've made the right choice in hiring him or her.
Talk to a therapist at places like Physical Therapy Institute to find out more about joining in on your child's speech therapy sessions.