Learning Abled Kids - Speech-Language Therapy

Speech issues are prevalent among children with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Public schools provide speech therapy services and often these services are sufficient to help a child overcome their difficulties.

If you are a home schooling family, you may be in a quandry about whether to approach the public school for help, go to a private therapist, or may even wonder if there are speech-language therapy programs you can provide at home. Each of these is an option.

Speech-Language services through the public school are often good because the qualifications for a school SLP (Speeh-Language Pathologist) are usually the same as for private providers. In contrast, degree requirements for being a school psychologist are often not the same as for a lisenced psychologist in the private sector. Thus, if your child must have therapy and you cannot afford private therapy, then the public school system may be a good choice. You may want to consider "At Home" therapy first. (continued below..)

Speech-Language therapy for issues that are not too complex can be done at home. "Straight Talk" is a program provided through the NATTHAN organization (Nationally Challenged Homeschoolers Association). There are two different programs offered for a very reasonable price. Depending upon your child's needs, you may want to try one of these programs to see if you can help your child at home.

Bstlearning.com has created an effective and cost efficient way for you to help your child at home. Their web-based speech therapy program helps children with pre-reading, articulation, antonyms, synonyms, vocabulary, categories, basic concepts, multiple meaning words, plurals, verbs, possessives and a whole lot more. BSTLearning staff will customize a program for your child, then he or she will be able to access their program daily via the Internet. Bstlearning.com will provide you with detailed progress reports as well as educational material pertinent to your child.

Another option for articulation problems might be the Institute for Excellence in Writing's "Developing Linguistic Patterns Through Poetry Memorization" - This program is fabulous for children with learning difficulties in many ways. The memory work will help strengthen memory and recall skills for children with memory deficits. The recitation component will help children with articulation practice, as well as memory recall. The main premise behind the program is to give children a ready source for varied and sophisticated usage of language skills in writing. If a child has word usage committed to memory, he can use that information when writing his own original works. Given the program's format, you'll find you can substitute any works of poetry in a similar process of memorization and recitation. For speech-language purposes, you might want to practice with a number of independently selected, short, and easily memorized poems before using those provided with the program. Whether using your own poems, or those provided with the program, "Developing Linguistic Patterns Through Poetry Memorization" seems like a great way to practice and improve speech skills.

If your child's problems are complex, you've tried one of the at-home programs and it isn't working, or you have the means to go for private therapy, that is generally a great option, particularly if your insurance will cover the therapy. Depending on the depth of your child's speech-language delays or articulation issues, your child may require private therapy for a relatively long period of time. You can shorten the length of time in therapy by working on difficulties at home in conjunction with weekly therapy. While you won't want to counter any services provided by your private therapist, working with Straight Talk at home can provide added progress.

Speech Therapy