gets older, we want them to be independent
and have increased safety awareness, help
with chores, prepare meals, have good
good feeding skills, etc. Anything that is
related to your child’s general everyday
living activities, an occupational therapist
can assist you with.
What is speech-language therapy
?
Speech and language therapy are for those
who are struggling to communicate either
verbally or non-verbally. Speech therapists
address issues with pronunciation, not
using enough words, incorrect sentences,
Additionally, speech therapists work with
swallowing disorders. For example, some
children take a long time to break down
their food or swallow whole pieces. A
speech language pathologist will work with
your child’s oral-motor pattern to ensure
safety with feedings.
Speech and language therapy and
occupational therapy overlap in many
aspects. For example, speech and
occupational therapists both work
on sequencing activities, social skills,
identifying and naming of letters. However,
speech and language are directly related
socials skills. Occupational therapy is
related to the activities of daily living.
Why do I need a bilingual therapist to
?
If your child speaks more than one
language, it is important for that child to
be evaluated in both languages. The reason
being is that that your child may understand
the concept in one language but not the
other. For example, if you only refer to a
“shoe” in Spanish by calling it a “zapato,”
your child will not understand what you are
requesting when you say “shoe.”
However, your child understands the
concept of a shoe. Therefore, this is
disorder. It is imperative that children
are assessed in both languages as only
assessing a child in one language can yield
negative results.
Additionally, bilingual developmental
milestones differ from the monolingual
development. Due to the acquisition
of two languages, the developmental
milestones are adjusted. A bilingual child
may not talk or combine words as quickly
as his or her monolingual peers. Bilingual
developmental charts are also an available
resource.
social-skills, feeding skills, or sensory integration, STEP can provide you with the necessary answers. Call for additional information
at (941) 251-6825.