In 2024, most people have heard of speech therapy. They either know someone who has needed speech intervention or maybe they have a family member who had it. Most people have an idea of what speech therapy looks like, although there are many myths associated with it, and I am here to debunk some with you! Read below to see common myths and if they are true or false.
BABY TALK WILL INHIBIT MY CHILDS LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
This common speech therapy myth is false. Babies prefer to listen to
this! Baby talk is usually described as high pitch, using simple language, with lots of animation and gestures. This type of language presentation is more engaging to little ones, and encourages first words and language development.
MORE BOYS HAVE LANGUAGE DELAYS THAN GIRLS
This myth is actually true. Research on this topic concludes that boys are more likely to have a language impairment compared to girls. Autism is also higher occurring in boys.
SPEECH DELAYED CHILDREN WILL ALWAYS CATCH UP
This myth is false. 50% of children who are late to talk do not catch up
on their own. Research states that speech delayed children could be at risk for long term delays without intervention. For example, if a child has an expressive language delay, then articulation milestones will also most likely be delayed. Which can lead to difficulties with reading and spelling.
USING SIGNS/PICTURES WILL HINDER MY CHILD’S VERBAL LANGUAGE
This myth is false. Using signs or pictures facilitates verbal language
development. Pictures and signs help children to express themselves and bridge the gap between not communicating and using words. It can also reduce frustration and give children a way to communicate wants/needs. Studies show that using ASL or picture communication boards help children with communication turn taking, vocabulary, and multi word utterances.
LEARNING TWO LANGUAGES AT THE SAME TIME WILL
CAUSE A SPEECH DELAY
This myth is false. Research indicates that learning a second language is not a bad thing. Actually, kids soak up the language/languages spoken in their environment. They are born ready to learn! They will just learn both languages simultaneously as long as they hear both simultaneously.
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