A Look at Common Kid Therapy and What to Except

It can be overwhelming when a doctor says your child has to start therapy for one reason or another. There’s a lot of different ones and reasons why they might need therapy. I know when my twins were first diagnosed with Autism. I was overwhelmed with the different therapies they would need. I started researching what types they may need. Most didn’t give what would happen in a session and I found that frustrating at the time. Let’s a take a look at a few of them and what they offer and what happens during a session.

Speech Therapy

This is a common one. A child may have trouble pronouncing words correctly. Sometimes, this isn’t addressed until the child is in school. Then they’d see the speech therapist during school hours. They’d take them out of class to work. They’ll do worksheets and games to help. Other times, like my twins they won’t speak until around age 4. MY boys started speech with games and toys. The therapist worked one on one with them and then in groups, so they could learn to communicate with others. They could earn prizes for doing the work.

Let’s take a look at some other reasons a child may need to see a speech therapist.

hearing impairment
weak muscles around the mouth
cleft lip or palate
vocal nodules/ hoarseness
autism
breathing disorder
swallowing disorder

A kid visiting a speech therapist for the first time will take a speaking test. This test is a way of finding out what types of speech problems a kid has. The kid will be asked to say certain sounds and words. These may be recorded and the therapist might write some stuff down during the test. The test will help the therapist figure out the kid’s needs and decide what treatments are needed.

The “treatment” for speech problems is practice. If a kid has trouble with articulation or fluency, the therapist will spend time showing him or her how to make the proper sounds. The therapist will demonstrate the sounds and ask the kid to try to copy them. That means copying the way the therapist moves the lips, mouth, and tongue to make the right sounds.

Treatment can last anywhere from a few weeks, months to years. It all depends on what the child has to learn.

Occupational Therapy

They help kids overcome obstacles they may have to live a more independent life. Helps kids who have a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability carry out everyday activities like brushing their teeth or putting on shoes and socks. If your child needs OT, they evaluated what they need help with and compare it to other kids their age and what they can do. They may come to your home for therapy or you might have to go to a center where they work. The amount of time a child needs OT varies. The therapist will let you know.

Physical Therapy

A child may have to go here if they break a bone or have a medical condition that requires this type of therapy.

Kids learn by playing, so physical therapists often have toys for kids to use. You might find balls, benches, swings, and slides in a pediatric therapy gym. Kids can have some fun during these therapy sessions, though it can be a lot of hard work to make muscles stronger and learn to do new things.

Some kids might see a PT just one or two times, whereas other kids may be in therapy for many months. The sessions usually last 30 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the kid’s age and the type of problems he or she is having.

Facts for these came from Kids Health.

Allyson is a published author, blogger, wife and mom to 4 kids. Three of her children are on the autism spectrum. She suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. On her blog you can find her writing about being an author, her faith and family. She resides in Missouri with her loving husband and four wonderful children, and three cats. She’s addicted to knitting and coffee.