What is Speech Therapy and How Can It Help My Child?
Author: Ron Dee Erasmo, RSLP
Registered Speech-Language Pathologist in the Philippines
Photo by Natasha Hall on Unsplash
Glenn is a 5 year-old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He loves to sing and read but his parents have a hard time asking him questions as he often repeats them.
Claire is an 8 year-old Grade 1 student studying in a public elementary school. While she does well on her tests, her teachers and classmates say that she speaks in very few words.
Jane, on the other hand, is a 4 year-old girl. She speaks in one-word statements and her parents say that her words are often not clear.
Glenn, Claire, and Jane all have some sort of problem in communication. It could be in understanding the words that people say to them (receptive language) or in using words to communicate their ideas to the people around them (expressive language). It could also be a difficulty in saying words clearly (speech). A speech-language pathologist or a speech therapist can help your child manage these difficulties.
What is Speech Therapy?
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Speech therapy or speech-language pathology is defined as “...a branch of rehabilitation focused on human communication, its development, and disorders. It addresses speech, hearing, voice, fluency, swallowing difficulties, and language disorders in both children and adults.” (Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists, n.d.).
Speech-language pathologists are concerned with disorders of communication that manifest as:
Articulation
The child has difficulty saying words clearly
The child replaces words such as saying “bib” instead of “big”
Fluency
The child often repeats words and phrases several times when talking to classmates and teachers
Voice
The child’s voice is too soft even if they are excited or surprised
Hearing
The child does not react to loud sounds in their environment
The child was fitted with hearing aids and needs help in learning the new sounds they are hearing
Language
The child repeats questions without giving an answer
The child has trouble following spoken instructions in school
The child counts to 10 and can sing the alphabet but does not say other words
When is it best to seek speech therapy services?
The earlier that a child receives speech-language intervention, the better! While some would say that we can wait for children who may take a bit longer to develop their skills, it is best that we have our child screened for therapy. This way, they can receive the help that they need as early as possible.
Children with communication disorders who receive early intervention show major improvements in their communication skills (Osman et al., 2023; Xue et al., 2024).
It is important that you track your child’s skill with the major communication milestones expected for their age. You can also ask yourself these questions:
Does my child have enough words to tell me what they need and want?
Does my child use their words to talk to me most of the time?
Do I understand what my child is trying to say most of the time?
Does my child understand what I’m telling them most of the time?
If you answered “no” to at least one of these questions, it may be best to visit a speech-language pathologist to help us get a deeper look at your child’s skills. From here, we can create plans and design interventions that can help your child and your family address these concerns in communication.
How can speech therapy help your child?
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Especially if you think your child does not communicate in social interactions at their maximum potential, it would be wise to urgently seek professional help for them. Speech-language pathologists can help your child:
Communicate their needs, wants, and ideas to the people around them (expressive language)
Understand what other people say in conversations or instructions written on their worksheets (receptive language)
Speak words clearly and accurately (speech)
Speak with a healthy voice that is also appropriate for a given social context (voice)
Perceive and understand sounds and speech (hearing)
Use alternative methods of communication (augmentative and alternative communication)
Timing is always key. There is no need to wait for your child to “naturally” learn how to speak better or to speak more. Children as young as one year old may benefit from speech therapy. Some parents may hesitate enrolling their child to speech therapy when they think that their child is too unfocused or too “hyper.” Some would want to wait until their child turns five years old.
The best time to seek speech therapy for your child is now. Keep in mind that speech therapists work with a team of other professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and special education teachers. Your child will make the most of therapy if they are given the utmost care from these team of professionals without the need for waiting for the perfect time to begin speech therapy.
At Thrive Play Space and Occupational Therapy Clinic, we believe every child has their own strengths, and our goal is to help children develop the skills they need to thrive.
References:
Osman, H. A., Haridi, M., Gonzalez, N. A., Dayo, S. M., Fatima, U., Sheikh, A., ... & Khan, S. (2023). A systematic review of the efficacy of early initiation of speech therapy and its positive impact on autism spectrum disorder. Cureus, 15(3).
Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists. (n.d.). About PASP | Advancing Speech-Language Pathology in the Philippines. PASP. Retrieved September 9, 2026, from https://www.pasp.org.ph/about-pasp
Xue, Y., Xu, J., & Liu, D. (2024). The impact of early speech and language cognitive training care on the developmental quotient of children with language impairments: A retrospective study. Medicine, 103(43), e39898.
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