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What Happens During A Speech Pathologist Appointment?

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If your child has been referred to a speech pathologist, your family may be experiencing feelings of anxiety or worry. However, if you know a little more about what will likely go on at a speech pathology appointment, you will find that those anxious feelings fade away. Here are a few things you and your child may experience in a speech pathologist's office.

Introductions

Upon arrival at your speech pathologist's office, you will likely be greeted by a friendly receptionist who will ask you to sign in. Once available, the speech pathologist will come and introduce themselves to you and your child. Most speech pathologists are very good with children. Many understand how to communicate clearly and appropriately with children, putting them at ease within moments of their first meeting. 

A Tour

In an effort to help your child feel more comfortable in the office, most professional speech pathologists will give you a grand tour, which will give you a small sneak peek into what your therapy sessions in the future may look like. 

Physical Exams

In order to figure out exactly what is going on with your child's speech, a very minor physical exam may be necessary. Pathologists will often use a flashlight to look into your child's mouth while they are making different sounds. This can help them to rule out mechanical issues with speech. 

Engagement

Once everyone has settled into an appointment, you will find that the speech pathologist has many different tricks to get your child to communicate. Some of these include one-on-one play sessions where they will be playing with blocks, playdough, or reading books together. It may appear to just be play, but the pathologist is actually eliciting specific words from your child and then helping them to figure out how to say them correctly. Other times, they will have your child playing in a small group of children. This can help kids to work on their speech during social interactions, something that some kids struggle with. 

In conclusion, exactly what your child's speech pathology appointments look like will depend greatly on the needs of your little one. If there was trauma or the need for therapy is great, your child could have 3-5 hourlong visits a week. Every child has different needs, so speech pathologists are usually very accommodating and open to setting up a unique plan for your kid. One thing is sure though: Speech pathology is proven to help people. The quality of your child's life could benefit from the skills of a speech-language pathologist. 

If you have additional questions, reach out to a company like Eastern Carolina Ear Nose & Throat-Head.


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