Pediatric Speech Therapy | Oak Park | Michigan | Life Skills Village

1) What is Pediatric Speech Therapy?

Pediatric speech therapy is meeting the child where they need us, even if that’s on the monkey bars! The speech-language pathologist can work on the production or the comprehension of speech and language. Production may include goals like developing age- appropriate speech sounds or vocabulary. Comprehension may include goals like following directions or understanding grammar. Social skills can also be targeted, individually or in a group setting, through structured play.

2) How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

Consult with your pediatrician to see if your child is meeting their speech and language developmental milestones. A speech-language pathologist can evaluate and assess your child to see if a delay or disorder is present and counsel you on your next steps.

3) What does a speech therapy session entail?

If you are coming to a speech-language pathologist for the first time, you can anticipate your child be evaluated in a comfortable play setting or a more structured environment depending on your child’s needs. Doing so in a natural environment will allow the team to, ifneeded, set appropriate goals for your child to succeed. After the evaluation, treatment will be play based or more structured to target his or her goals!

This article was written by Alana Patterson and Jordyn Byker-graduate student interns supervised by Amy Lipple