Does Speech Therapy Really Work?

Your child has been having difficulty with his communication skills for a while now, and you decided it's time to seek some professional help. You've been receiving advice from your child's teachers, your family and friends that your child might need Speech Therapy. But amongst the bombardment recommendations, a skeptical voice within you calls out - Does speech therapy actually work?

The short answer is yes, it does work (or I'll be needing a new job by now). What complicates things is what your speech therapists does (or does not do), and how he/she does it.

What we know from extensive research is that evidence-based methods have been proven to work. These methods can be treatment approaches/philosophies or strategies. The tricky part comes when we consider the impact of skill. While an approach might be grounded in lots of evidence, a less skilled therapist might not use an approach the way it's supposed to be. He/she might not read or understand the signals that a child is sending correctly and thus is not able to adjust treatment in the best possible manner.

That is not to say a less skilled speech therapist will not be able to effect improvements. There could still be improvements, but these improvements might come at a slower rate. A skilled therapist is also able to build rapport quickly with your child, and to change their interaction style to suit different personalities. A therapists' ability to gain your child's trust will impact upon his/her motivation to learn during therapy as well.

If you're unsure about the approach your speech therapist is adopting, always ask. As a patient/client, you have every right to know. If a speech therapist is unable to explain an approach and back it up with evidence - those might be red flags for a lack of an evidence-based approach.

So in short, speech therapy will work when methods are evidence-based, and works best when a skilled therapist utilises these methods.

At Dinosaur Speech Therapy, we believe in using approaches that are well-researched and show good evidence. We believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and our therapists are well-equipped to change the way they deliver therapy flexibly to ensure your child gets the best possible support from therapy.

Contact us now to find out more on how speech therapy can help support your child's needs! Book a non-obligatory consultation now! Tele-consults available. Whatsapp or call us now at 8028 8535.