Language disorders: should my child go to the speech therapist?

Does your child have trouble expressing himself? Does he stumble over words or confuse sounds altogether? He may have a language disorder … Maybe you should take him to a pediatric speech therapist, let's take stock.

The pediatric therapist is a communication specialist.

·         It helps patients who have difficulty expressing themselves orally and in writing.

·         Discover the main signs of language disorders that require consultation.

Language disorders: the cases which should put you on the alert

At 3 years old. He hardly speaks, or on the contrary a lot, but he grazes the words so badly that no one understands him, neither his parents, nor his teacher and he suffers from it.

At 4 years old. A child, who distorts words, does not make sentences, uses verbs in the infinitive and uses poor vocabulary. Or a child, who stutters, cannot start his sentences, finish his words or just speak without making great efforts.

At 5-6 years old. If he continues to emit a phoneme badly in large section, it is necessary to consult so that the child enters the CP by pronouncing correctly; otherwise he risks writing as he speaks. On the other hand, all babies born with deafness or a significant handicap such as trisomy 21 benefit from early treatment.

How are the sessions with the speech therapist?

First, this language rehabilitation specialist will take stock of your child's abilities and difficulties. During this first meeting, most often in your presence, the speech therapist will submit your child to various tests of articulation, comprehension, sentence structures, restitution of a story, etc.

Depending on the results of these tests, he will write a report, offer you appropriate support and then establish a request for prior agreement with the Health Insurance.

Language disorders: adapted rehabilitation

It all depends of course on the child's difficulties. The one who speaks easily and confuses only the sounds "Che" and "I" (the most difficult) will be cured in a few sessions. Likewise, the child who “licks” will quickly learn to put his tongue down and no longer to slip it between his teeth, as soon as he accepts to give up his thumb or his pacifier. For other children, rehabilitation may take longer, but one thing is certain: the sooner these disorders are detected, the faster the results will be.