Question:  Do all children with speech problems have to attend regular speech therapy?

Not necessarily.  Sometimes you can place mild cases on consultation to monitor their development and progress. 

For example, I recently saw a child with an L distortion in a private school. She was four years old, and I knew the parents would be very conscientious about  home follow-through. The child had already figured out how to elevate her tongue to the alveolar ridge and produce the L sound.  I provided her parents with information to work on at home. After a couple weeks of home practice, I checked her and found that the L in blends was developing. I’ll check her once again in a few weeks. 

On the other hand, I’ve had some children on my caseload for years who need to see me and an occupational therapist on a regular basis.  So it can really vary based on the issue, how they’re progressing, if they're doing their homework, and what goals you want to accomplish.

Debbie

Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP

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