Speech therapy is often the first step in helping a toddler communicate successfully. Your child will learn to control their speech and language muscles and form sounds to speak clearly.
Therapy is usually one-on-one with a specialist. But group therapy may be used if your child is having trouble with socialization or stuttering. Speech therapy may also include written or spoken exercises. These activities can help develop your toddler’s communication skills and behaviors at home or in other settings.
The goal of speech therapy for toddlers is to teach them how to express themselves clearly, understand others, and interact socially. We want to help your child lead a full, active life.
Babies are quick learners. They grow so fast, discover so much, and say their first words before we know it. Sometimes they might even skip a step along the way, and say a word that sounds similar to the word they mean.
It’s a normal part of learning to talk, but if your child is still doing this at about 2 years old, it might be time for speech therapy. Maybe your child says “tat” for cat, or “wawa” for water. It can be frustrating for both you and your toddler when you’re trying to communicate.
If your child is having difficulty understanding what people say or has problems being understood by others, contact your doctor today to schedule an appointment with our pediatric speech-language pathologists.
Kaiser Permanente’s Speech Therapy for Toddlers program is a free 30-minute video series that helps parents of children with speech delays get their little ones talking again. The program includes six videos, each one led by a Kaiser Permanente speech pathologist, who teaches step-by-step tips and techniques to improve your child’s ability to communicate.
Speech-language pathologists are professionals trained to evaluate and treat communication problems in people of all ages. A speech-language pathologist can help your child learn new skills or improve existing ones through play activities that are fun and interesting to your child.
Speech is one of the most important features of our human-ness. It allows us to communicate; it allows us to express ourselves to the world, and to connect with others. For toddlers, it’s also a huge milestone in their development—it’s a sign that they’re growing into themselves and becoming more independent. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your child is developing speech at the right pace—and if they’re having trouble, that they get the treatment they need.
Speech therapy is a complex, intensive process that requires time and commitment from both the patient and their therapist. Kaiser Permanente Speech Therapy for Toddlers is a program that provides this opportunity for parents who are seeking speech therapy for their children but can’t afford it, or don’t have access to it otherwise.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), roughly 5% of children have some sort of speech or language disorder, and that number jumps up to 10% if you include hearing problems. Speech therapy helps children overcome these problems and communicate more effectively with their peers and adults.
For many families, speech therapy is an overwhelming prospect. How do you know if your child could benefit from it? How do you choose a qualified speech therapist? And where do you find the time in your busy schedule to fit in all those extra appointments? Kaiser Permanente has answers to all of these questions, as well as a team of pediatric specialists who are ready and willing to answer any other questions that come up during the process.