How often should my child have speech therapy?

This is one of the most common questions speech therapists get and also one of the trickiest to give an answer for. The unpopular answer is - it depends.

How often a child needs to receive therapy is actually dependent on several factors.

For starters, the therapy approach that is taken will affect the intensity of treatment that is necessary. Some treatment approaches will require more frequent sessions initially that gradually fade off to more infrequent ones. Others rely on a more consistent frequency that stays constant over time.

The frequency of therapy will of course depend on the challenges that a child has. More complex conditions will naturally require more attention (at least at the start) and might gradually fade in intensity as they begin to improve and gain some independence.

Younger children who are running against the developmental clock might also need to be seen more frequently. For example, the established critical period for language development has been placed roughly before the age of 6. It can thus then be in a child's interests to maximise much of the learning within this timeframe.

A large part of a speech therapist deciding on the frequency of speech therapy is also down to how much a child's caregiver is able to support the child back at home. Children with caregivers who are able to pick up the strategies during therapy sessions to utilise and practice back at home will naturally be able to work with less frequent sessions.

At the end of the day, each child is different and each family has their own needs. While in an ideal world everyone would prefer more frequent professional intervention - this is not always practical. Aside from a child's needs, decisions also have to be made taking into account a family's finances. These are real problems and are common ones that come up when such decisions have to be made.

If you are currently seeing a speech therapist and are wondering about changing the frequency of your child's sessions, it will be useful to talk to your speech therapist about how you can strike a balance between maximising therapy and costs of therapy.

At Dinosaur Speech Therapy, we understand that each child and family is different, and are committed to helping figure out a solution that will benefit everyone.

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.