Parents often ask, “Is there an app for that?” when they want to improve their child’s language skills. The answer is twofold – while tablets and similar devices can be very motivating for children, simply giving a child a tablet to play with will not improve his/her language skills. Rather, guided practice and support from a speech therapist or caregiver is important to help a child improve his/her communication skills.
Daniel is a child who LOVES playing games on tablet devices. But, he prefers to just “click” to figure out how to successfully play games. His speech therapist often used his favorite games to help improve his listening skills.
How did Daniel become a speech therapy patient at Sage Care Therapy Services?
His frequent tantrums were upsetting and confusing to his parents. His Mom noticed that he seemed to not understand what was being asked of him and his tantrums tended to escalate from there. A language evaluation showed that her instincts were right on. Daniel’s expressive language skills (using phrases, naming items and actions, etc.) were in the average range. But, his comprehension skills (ability to follow directions, processing what was said to him, etc.) fell in the significantly delayed range. No wonder he was frustrated!
Daniel received speech therapy in his home. Therapy sessions focused on helping him to understand action words, follow directions, and improve his listening skills. An important part of his program included his Mom and his speech therapist working together to help Daniel practice listening and following directions.
After 6 months of speech therapy services, Daniel’s listening comprehension had improved into the average range! Although he still gets frustrated sometimes, his frustration now is more typical for a 3 year old. His parents are more comfortable keeping high expectations for his behavior because they know he understands what they are asking him to do.
Sage Care Therapy Services provides highly skilled pediatric speech, occupational and physical therapy in the DFW area. We treat patients in their homes and accept most Medicaid insurances.
Contact us at 214-295-5374 or request services HERE