Speech therapy

A speech therapist is a specialist in speech and swallowing disorders who can help people of all ages. In the case of children, a speech therapist is primarily concerned with identifying problems in understanding and producing oral and written speech, carrying out therapy sessions and counselling parents. A speech therapist also assesses various speech characteristics (voice, pronunciation, fluency, etc.), speech-related muscle function and, if necessary, swallowing function.

The development of a child’s speech is linked to the development of their perception, attention, memory and thinking. Delays in speech development therefore affect both communication skills and the ability to learn – which is why it is important to detect speech problems as early as possible and intervene if necessary. A speech therapist may be needed for a child who is just starting to speak, or for an adolescent who is already at school. The sooner the person needing help gets to see a speech therapist, the sooner their speech will improve, and with it also their ability to cope with everyday life, social interaction and learning.

When should you see a speech therapist?

• Problems with pre-verbal communication in infancy or early childhood (lack of emotional communication with the parent, absence or infrequency of babbling, etc.).
• Language delay
• Speech problems related to being bilingual
• Pronunciation problems
• Stuttering and other disfluency
• Voice disorders
• Issues related to reading and writing skills
• Facial nerve paralysis
• Swallowing disorders

If you suspect your child has a speech or swallowing disorder, consult our speech therapists. It is never too early or too late to consult a specialist if you have any concerns! If problems are more serious, specialist intervention, continuous therapy and cooperation between all parties are needed.