Is Extra School Assistance Enough for Children With Speech or Language Disorders?

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow,

yet we forget that he is someone today.”

– Attributed to Stacia Tauscher

It’s not uncommon for speech or language disorders in children to go undetected until they reach school age. Sometimes, it takes an objective third party, who knows and understands children and their typical developmental stages and milestones to perceive a difficulty or delay in communication skills.

When teachers are concerned about some aspect of a student’s ability to communicate, many school boards have access to Speech-Language Pathologists they can call on to conduct assessments.

Unfortunately, in this age of sweeping financial cutbacks and limited resources it’s likely such in-school professionals will have limits on the amount of time they can devote to developing or providing one-on-one treatment for each child that might need or benefit from this assistance. As a parent, you’re wise not to assume that the help your son or daughter might receive at school will be enough to overcome whatever difficulties they are experiencing with speech or language.

As your child’s most important and effective advocate, speak with the teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist involved, to find out about their concerns and recommendations. And if you learn that additional help would be beneficial to your child, take heart and then take action! Help is nearby and early intervention is always beneficial.

S.L. Hunter & Associates provides a complete range of assessments and treatments for children in their development of speech, language, communication and swallowing. Any parent that has concerns in these areas is welcome to contact the clinic to set up an appointment.

The offices of S.L. Hunter & Associates are located at 5195 Harvester Rd. Unit 4B. We can be reached by telephone at 905-637-5522 or online at www.slhunter.ca.