Different Ways to Motivate Children to Practice Language

If your child has trouble with their speech, you will want to do all that you can to encourage them to practice. If a child is left alone and not encouraged to practice their speech, their speech could be problematic well into adulthood. There are many different ways that you can help motivate your child to learn and speak correctly.

Create a Learning Atmosphere

Parents often make the mistake of not making a learning atmosphere. Do not think that your child can just sit in their room and practice their speech successfully. You will want to make sure that you create an atmosphere that benefits your child. You will want to take away any distractions. This includes games and toys. Having toys and games lying around will only encourage your child to want to play those and not be motivated to practice their speech. Allow items in the room that will allow your child to learn and practice their speech. Keep the room where practicing is taking place quiet and free from interruptions. Work closely with your child to help create a rich educational atmosphere.

Make it Fun

Making learning fun should be at the top of your priorities. Helping your child work on his or her speech can be fun through different methods. You can create educational stories that your child can recite, and you can create games where they work on their speech. Come up with a reward system to help to encourage them to be motivated.

Encourage Your Child and Do Not Stress

You will want to encourage your child all that you can. Even if they are not learning their speech like you think they should, still encourage them. Kids thrive on encouragement and will have great success. You will also want to remember not to stress. Your child will be able to pick up on your stress, which can lead to them regressing and not wanting to practice their speech at all.

Hire A Speech Therapist

If your child suffers from speech issues, a great way to help them is to hire a child speech therapist in Jenkintown. A child speech therapist can work closely with your child to help them to correct their speech. A therapist will be able to offer you tips and tricks to ensure that your child is getting the speech therapy that they need. You can also ask them for any advice on how to encourage your child best.

Having a child with speech issues can be stressful, but armed with the proper techniques and great private speech therapy in Southampton, you will be able to help your child be motivated to practice his or her speech every day.

Reading and Verbal Fluency: Expand Your Child’s Capabilities With These Simple Steps

As parents that want the best for our children, we understand the power and impact that reading has on their developing mind. With the ability to read and speak fluently, children have access to new worlds, ideas, thoughts, and tactics that can help them grow into successful individuals later in life.

If you have considered speech therapy in Montgomery County PA, here are some tactics and tools that can improve your child’s fluency and reading abilities.

1. Create a Reading Area at Home

While this may seem like a simple idea, the power it has is incredible. Children that have a designated space to explore books are more likely to read in their spare time and grow their literary knowledge.

Not only is reading a great way for a young child to relax after school, but the skills they develop in their private time can also translate to better grades, improved communication skills, and logical thinking in critical moments. For parents that want to expand their child’s mind, a reading area in your home is a great idea.

2. Read Aloud

When a child is beginning to form their speech patterns, their mind is like that of a sponge. They soak up small details and pronunciations that they will use to communicate later in life. Also, this is the point in which most children showcase their accents and learn ‘slang’ terminology.

The next time you have some free time with your child, grab a book, and read to them using your regular speaking voice. Encourage your child to follow along as you read the text so they can see the proper pronunciation of each word used within a sentence. Not only will this enable them to read with speed and accuracy, but it will also shape their speech patterns and fluency.

3. Echoing

When adults communicate, the tonality and cadence in which we speak can move mountains. Say a word with the wrong inflection, and the entire mood changes in an instant.

Echoing is the process in which we read to a child and then have them repeat the passage back to us, mimicking our tones, inflections, and cadence. By implementing this strategy, your child will understand when to emphasize words, when to slow down their speech and when to highlight important information.

4. Be Patient

Lastly, we encourage you to be patient with children as they improve their reading capabilities and fluency. When we give children a safe space to learn and grow their skill set, they become motivated to learn and eager to read intricate texts. And if you still have trouble, reach out to a child speech therapist in Southampton today!

Build Your Child’s Confidence to Promote Better Speech

As a parent, you always want your child to express himself or herself with confidence while speaking to other children or adults. It can be stressful to see your child struggle to express feelings and ideas because of one reason or another.

Young children faced with speech difficulty can sometimes feel abandoned or discriminated against. Other children or adults may not really understand why the child is unable to speak well.

But with a child speech therapist in Willow Grove, you can easily help your child to learn how to express themselves well.

In most cases, speech difficulty is brought about by a lack of confidence. The child may have been subjected to an environment or situations that instilled fear in them while at a very young age.

Other than professional speech therapy in Southampton, there are several other things you can do to build your child’s confidence to promote better speech.

Make it a Priority to Always Talk to Your Child

Children with speech difficulty generally fear to talk. This is because they lack the confidence of starting a conversation. As a parent or teacher, you, therefore, need to come up with ways to assist the child. This is by ensuring to engage them frequently in conversations.

Try to talk to him or her while going to school or coming back and explain to them what you are trying to do. Talking to your child will help boost his esteem and confidence in the long run.

Active listening

Sometimes we put too much emphasis on speech and forget the most important part, listening. Active listening is a very important part of any conversation. That’s why you should practice this skill with the child.

How do you do that? Ask them how their day in school was and try to repeat some of the things they say in form of questions. For instance, I am happy to hear you had fun, who were you playing with?

Show Your Child How to Start a Conversation

You have to literally show your child how to start a conversation. Tell them the exact words and phrases they should use and rehearse them with him or her. For example, Hello. My name is Billy. What’s yours? Doing this repeatedly will quickly promote better speech in your child.

Encourage your child to socialize

Exposure to different social environments is among the best ways to promote a child’s speaking skills. When a child interacts with other children of his or her age, they can easily build confidence and learn to speak well.

Studies have shown that children who face speech difficulties have higher chances of developing low self-esteem. This clearly proves that there is a strong relationship between self-confidence and speaking skills.

For more help with your child’s speaking skills, contact Speech Success Academy today!

5 Most Common Speech Disorders that Go Unnoticed

Children are born eager to learn a language. However, sometimes they may struggle to pass a milestone in their speech development process. There are several reasons why this can occur. Here are five of the most common speech disorders that go unnoticed.

1. Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia of Speech (AOS) is difficult to detect because it is not directly associated with brain damage. The common link found in those children diagnosed with AOS is that it is common among close relatives. This suggests a genetic connection. Symptoms include word mispronunciation and uneven rhythm, emphasis, or tone.

2. Stuttering

Stuttering can be mistaken for cluttering. The latter is when a child speaks too fast or uses filler words such as “like,” “um,” often. Stuttering is the repeating of a word or part of a word. Other signs of stuttering may go unnoticed. For example, non-verbal clues such as tics and excessive blinking are also in the stuttering category.

3. Alalia (Speech Delay)

Speech delay also referred to as “alalia,” is distinguished as a child not attempting to speak. It may be due to brain damage or that a child might develop speaking later, and thereby, outgrow the disorder. A proper diagnosis from a speech-language pathologist in Willow Grove can rule out hearing problems, a cleft palate, and damage to the connections of the nerves and muscles to the brain.

4. Autism

Autism and other speech issues are often paired together. AOS, word inflection irregularities, muteness, and repeating another person’s speech pattern involuntarily are associated with autism. Even so, that does not mean that all children with those symptoms have autism.

5. Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is when a child can speak, but will not do so most of the time. Therefore, the child will select certain situations when they will speak. A child may speak at home only, for instance. Other reasons for a child not speaking are anxiety disorders or being socially withdrawn. It is important to eliminate shyness, stuttering, AOS, and other disorders.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment Results in the Best Outcomes

A professional team of experienced child speech therapists can access your child’s speech patterns. To schedule voice therapy at Willow Grove, call Speech Success Academy at 267-818-4200 or send a quick message to set up a session. We have flexible times available that are most convenient for you and your child!

Summer Tips to Keep Your Child’s Brain Engaged

Children look forward to the summertime because they are tired of doing school work. The summer break gives your child a chance to rest and recharge. However, it is still important for you to keep their brain engaged. You can do the following to help your child stay engaged during the summer.

Take Advantage of a Teachable Moment

Your child doesn’t have to be in the classroom to learn. You can make just about any moment a teachable one. For example, if you take your child to the zoo, then you can teach them about the animals. You can also read a book with your child. Additionally, you can teach your child about money and budgeting by taking them grocery shopping with you.

Have Them Play Online Games

Many children today spend too much time online. However, if they are playing online games, then they will be able to learn and make the most of this time. Your child can play fun online math games. They can also play word games that can help them with reading.

Have Them Do Online Speech Therapy

Many people think that online speech therapy in Willow Grove is just for children with speech problems. However, any child can benefit from online speech therapy. For example, it will be easier for your child to express themselves. It will also allow them to speak more fluently. Additionally, it can improve vocal quality.

Have Them Set Up a Lemonade Stand

There are several things that your child can learn from setting up their lemonade stand. It can help them develop money management and business skills. It can also teach them about providing good customer service. Additionally, it will help your child make their own money.

Play Sports

When many people think about sports, they only think about the physical benefits. Sports can help your child stay active and healthy. However, sports help your child develop social skills and learn how to work with other people. You can send your child to camp or have them play sports with the kids in the neighborhood.

Play Board Games

Board games are a lot of fun, and they also help challenge the brain and keep it engaged. Many board games are for different age levels. Board games are also a great way to prevent your child from spending too much time in front of the television.

Keep your children engaged this summer and have fun! For more information on speech therapy contact us at Speech Success Academy today!

How Can I Help My Child with Autism Overcome a Speech Impairment?

hat many people take for granted. Afflicted children and their families have access to different forms of speech therapy in outpatient centers. At the Speech Success Academy, we have a highly effective system that uses science-based formulas to treat all types of speech and communication disorders. Parents work closely with our speech professionals to help children overcome various speech impairments.

Licensed Speech Therapists

Our Speech Success Academy provides licensed speech therapists to assist patients who struggle with speaking and pronouncing words. We develop individualized plans to help each client build his or her communication skills over time.

Therapists may provide worksheets to help parents perform regular roles in assisting children as they overcome their speech impediments. Parents are encouraged to devote an hour or more each day to work directly with the child and speed up the progress of speech development.

Teletherapy

Teletherapy is a videoconferencing method that allows our doctors and patients to meet virtually. It’s a more convenient option than meeting face to face to make updates on the patient’s progress. It also reduces travel expenses and is easier to reschedule whenever necessary. Patients are more likely to show up regularly for remote teletherapy sessions since they don’t have to wait in traffic only to wait more in waiting rooms.

The convenience of teletherapy increases the effectiveness of any speech therapy plan. Our patients are more willing to see the doctor and have increased chances of becoming successful.

Encouragement Beyond Therapy 

The Speech Success Academy encourages clients to practice their speech during their sessions and at home. Patients have more freedom to practice their speech exercises at home with parents and friends and develop their skills in more comfortable settings. Practice is the number-one task that every client needs to make the greatest amount of progress. This must include going out into the real world and interacting with people regularly. We make going to speech therapy is convenient and beneficial to any speech therapy plan.

The most effective form of medicine includes a “do-it-yourself” plan that requires patients and their family members to do much of the work on their own. While your autistic child receives treatments at the Speech Success Academy, your efforts are monitored by our licensed professionals every step of the way and for as long as possible. Our providers offer early intervention services in Willow Grove that are available to help you get started with the process.

How Speech Therapy Can Help Your Child Increase Their Grades

Many parents enroll their children in speech therapy because they have problems pronouncing certain words. However, improved speech is not the only benefit that your child can obtain through therapy. Your child may be able to improve their grades. There are several reasons that your child should get speech therapy in Willow Grove.

Social Skills

Speech therapy can help your child with their social development. Social skills are an important part of a child’s education. Speech therapy can make it easier for your child to communicate with their teachers and classmates. It can also teach them how to ensure that their emotions match their face.

A lack of social skills can have many negative effects on your child’s education. If they do not have the necessary social skills, then it can be harder for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. This can lead to loneliness and depression, which can make it harder to learn.

Speech therapy will help your child connect with people and make friends. They will also have an easier time telling their teacher when they do not understand something. The teacher will have an easier time helping your child master the subjects.

Helps With Reading

There is a lot more to reading than just looking at words. Your child has to know how to spell and enunciate words, and private speech therapy in Southampton can help with that. If your child’s literacy and reading skills improve, then their grades will also improve. Good reading skills are needed for every subject in school.

Even if your child has dyslexia or another reading issue, speech therapy can still help. Furthermore, speech therapy can improve reading comprehension skills.

Address Speech Issues

Stuttering is one of the most common speech issues. It can be difficult for your child to learn if they have a stutter. This can also hurt self-esteem. Speech therapy can help your child work on their stutter. It can also address other things that can cause speech problems.

Increased Confidence And Reduced Anxiety

Many children are smart, but they don’t do well in school because they lack confidence. They may also have anxiety. Speech therapy can improve confidence and reduce anxiety.

When children can improve their speech, their confidence improves. They won’t feel self-conscious about speech issues, such as stuttering. Children will also feel more confident when they take tests. This will help them do better on their tests.

This confidence doesn’t just help children in the classroom. It also helps them in every other aspect of their life. They will be more independent. They will also have a better quality of life.

To learn more about the benefits of speech therapy for your children, you can visit Speech Success Academy online!

How Speech Therapy is Bringing Everyone Together

Speech therapy is a specialist form of therapy that focuses on issues revolving around speech, swallowing, and understanding. Many benefits can be obtained from the use of speech therapy, particularly for those affected by issues such as autism that can lead to feelings of frustration and isolation when communication is an issue. We have seen the majority of developmental disabilities, such as autism begin to be seen before the age of three leading to many social problems for those affected by these issues. Along with the basic issues of stalled communication opportunities, many children affected by developmental disabilities will see cognitive issues requiring a specialist’s autism support in Horsham.

What is Speech Therapy?

There is often a misunderstanding of what speech therapy is and who provides it. We provide expert therapy for members of your family using our expert child speech therapist in Southampton. Our speech therapists are known as Speech-Language Pathologists, commonly known as speech therapists who have been trained to at least a Master’s degree level and require a state license to practice their therapy. Alongside the use of a state license, a qualified Speech-Language Pathologist requires a certificate of competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association to reach the highest level of the sector. Speech therapists who have not reached this level of academic and career achievement can still practice under the supervision of a Speech-Language-Pathologist.

A speech therapist will work with your child to determine exactly what is causing their issues with speech, fluency, or swallowing to find ways of reducing their impact. A speech therapist will use different forms of therapy to find those that work best for your child to help them overcome their problems with a speech of swallowing problems.

Autism Issues can be Helped

We understand a diagnosis of autism for a child in any family can be a difficult time and lead to a range of new therapy options being explored. A child affected by autism can often find themselves struggling to feel connected to their family or their school mates. The nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder makes it difficult for a child affected by autism to converse verbally and in non-verbal situations. Speech therapy can help bring us all together when we are given the skills to handle situations that often make us feel uncomfortable. Any person affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder will feel better about their life and ability to interact in a more comfortable way when they have been given the skills we develop through our qualified speech therapists.

What Can I do to Stop Stuttering?

Stuttering, also known as dysphemia, is a condition that typically affects children and lasts for several years. The condition may disappear on its own or require medical intervention to stop it from happening. Here are a few simple tips to stop these abnormal speech patterns.

Speak Each Word Slowly

Many people stutter when they speak too quickly. Try sounding out each word, syllable by syllable, very slowly. Pretend like your voice is recorded and being played back at a slowed-down speed.

Break Apart Big Words

Stuttering occurs more often when you’re trying to pronounce long, complex words. Break each long word into syllables and pronounce each part separately. You can break the word into any part that helps you say it correctly. An example is the word “funambulism” that can be broken up in any way and pronounced as “fun-am-bu-lis-m.”

Read to Others

Reading the words out loud to family or friends could help you to stop stammering. Most people are embarrassed when they stutter in front of other people. Reading out loud to people you know could force you to speak more carefully and avoid stuttering. You’ll be more self-conscious and determined to say the words correctly.

Try Singing

Some people find that singing helps. When they sing, they don’t stutter at all, but when they speak, they cannot speak clearly. Listen to music whenever you can, sing along and note how often you do or do not stutter.

Exercise Regularly

Practice your speech exercises regularly. Getting rid of stutters overnight is not possible for anyone. The time that it takes to outgrow this problem varies with every child or adult. Many children develop this disorder and outgrow its symptoms after a few months or years. To speed up the results, follow a consistent regimen to improve your speech.

Seek a Speech Therapist

Speech therapists in Montgomery County, PA are trained to treat a wide range of speech conditions for children and adults. They treat people who cannot speak properly because of autism, stroke, deafness, or stuttering. They create a detailed individualized plan to diagnose, assess and treat problems that interfere with normal communication.

Although stuttering is a single condition, there are different causes and effects for every patient. This problem may be worse when someone is sick or excited. Sometimes, constant stress is a trigger that needs to be controlled. For some people, holding their breath helps to improve their speech a little, and for others, drinking liquids does. At Speech Success Academy, we have speech providers available to find and treat the underlying cause of your speech condition.

The Difference Between Language Impairment and Speech Impairment

We may know members of our family or local community who have some form of speech or language disorder. However, knowing the difference between these two forms of impairment can be difficult with most academic and medical specialists referring to the individual condition affecting a child or adult. Knowing the difference between language impairment and speech impairment could make it easier for each of us to understand the issues our neighbors are going through. As experts in child speech therapy in Southampton, PA and other surrounding areas, we want to help you understand the difference.

Speech Disorders Vs Language Disorders

Understanding what is meant by a speech impairment is the first step towards understanding the difference between these two impairments. A speech impairment refers to the way each of us says sounds and words. When we refer to a speech impairment, we are looking at the way sounds are formed with an impairment classed as being: • Difficulty saying sounds clearly • A hoarse voice • Repeating sounds or pausing during words In contrast, language impairment can be characterized by an inability to comprehend, understand, or read words. The problems seen with language impairment include: • Reading and understanding books • Difficulties in writing words and sentences • Issues talking fluently

Speech Impairments

A speech impairment is characterized by the inability to create the sounds and words we associate with the production of language. In many cases, speech impairment is a failure to position the mouth, tongue, or jaw to produce words correctly. Among the different ways, a speech impairment can manifest itself is through our inability to articulate words. Other issues we can identify include voice impairments that include problems with the volume and tone of voice being used. One of the most common speech impairments is a problem with the fluency of speech that is often referred to as a stutter.

Language Impairments

There is a major difference in the type and identification of the language-based learning disabilities we see as we move through life. Language impairments do not always manifest as a problem with speech but can revolve around the inability to understand written words and numbers. These issues can include an understanding of words that can often be read but not understood.

Treatments for Speech and Language Issues

If a child is identified as being affected by a speech or language impairment, we often see them given some form of intervention. If a child is under three years of age this is referred to as an early intervention. After the age of three, we will see a different form of intervention based on the use of special services in an academic setting. If you feel your child may need communication disorder treatment in Montgomery County, PA contact us today.