Pediatric Speech Therapy in Jacksonville, FL

What is Pediatric Speech Therapy?

Pediatric speech therapy helps children learn to communicate well, both verbally and non-verbally. Pediatric speech therapy can also aid children who have difficulty swallowing and feeding.

Normal Speech Development in Children

Each child is different and achieves communication milestones at different times. Generally, children can say 1 or 2 words by the time they are 15 months old, and 3 or more words by the time they are 18 months old. Most children can say two-word sentences by the time they are 2 years old.

Common Speech Disorders in Children

Several common speech disorders occur in children including delayed speech, lisping, problems with pitch and volume, stammering, or stuttering.

Causes of Speech Problems in Children

Speech problems can be caused by poor functioning of the muscles used to create speech. Developmental conditions such as autism can also lead to a lack of speech, delayed speech, or speech issues. Hearing impairment may also be a cause of a child not speaking properly.

When to Consider Speech Therapy for Your Child

You should consider speech therapy for your child if your child is having difficulty imitating the sounds made by other children if your child is making fewer sounds, or if your child makes poor-quality sounds.

How a Speech Therapist Can Help Your Child

The speech therapist will begin with a thorough evaluation of your child, which may include a complete physical, laboratory testing, and imaging. These services are performed to help identify if an underlying medical condition is contributing to the speech problem. The speech therapist may recommend a variety of treatment options to help your child including individual and group speech therapy sessions, exercises to strengthen muscles associated with speech, and educational tools to help your child learn how to speak clearly and correctly.

Want To Know More About Pediatric Speech Therapy?

To discover more about pediatric speech therapy and how it can help your child, call the speech therapy professionals at More Than a Voice Speech Therapy in Jacksonville, FL. To schedule an appointment with a speech therapist, please click below to schedule an initial consultation.