They say that kids do grow up fast. While some children have no problems with advancement, others experience what we call a developmental delay. This is a term used for youngsters lagging behind peers their age when it comes to physical, emotional, or mental growth.
Developmental delays in children come in many forms. Some have issues with their motor skills. Others go through some difficulties with their cognitive skills. One of the most common types of developmental delays affects the language learning of a child. If this is the case, relying on an NDIS speech pathology service provider is an excellent option to help your kid.
About Speech Pathology
A speech therapist or more accurately known as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) helps individuals of all ages suffering from different language or communication problems or disorders. The therapy usually begins with an assessment for the SLP to determine the best course of treatment. Of course, the flow of the program will depend on the age of the patient.
Here are some areas NDIS speech pathology experts can work with:
Stuttering
This communication disorder affects speech fluency and is known by having breaks interfering while speaking. While having disfluencies in speech is normal, having too many is not healthy. SLPs can provide strategies on how to control this habit and improve a kid’s speech fluency and intelligibility.
Articulation
This refers to the ability of a child to move their articulators, including the lips, tongue, palate, and jaw, to produce a speech sound. Having articulation problems can result in decreased speech intelligibility or how well others understand what you’re saying. SLPs can guide children on how to produce sound patterns or speech sounds that are challenging for them.
Voice Disorders
These can be in the form of polyps or nodules on the vocal folds, vocal cord paralysis, or other types of disorders leading to hoarseness or loss of voice. Kids can get these due to bad vocal habits. SLPs can work with them on how to lessen such behaviours and repair the damage of the folds.
Listening Skills
Some children may take time to develop the ability to listen and understand language. Other kids may even have stronger receptive language skills, meaning they can understand but cannot respond. SLPs can help the youngsters to learn new vocabulary and apply these in answering questions, starting conversations, and more.
Swallowing/Feeding
An individual’s swallowing or feeding functionalities can be affected due to an injury or medical conditions, like oral cancer. SLPs are trained to help such individuals. With their insight about the functions and structures of the oral cavities, they can come up with exercises or other strategies to get rid of these difficulties.
About NDIS
In Australia, over 4 million or 18% of the population have a disability. And since not everyone can fully afford the treatments and care they require, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was developed. This program aims to provide funding to Australians who have a permanent and significant disability. One of the NDIS support funding available is for speech pathology.
Because of the implementation of this scheme, the government invites more SLPs to help with their cause. A registered NDIS services provider can serve directly in the community or work under a clinic or home-based environment. Of course, the NDIS only accepts SLPs who carry the necessary skills and training.
In Essence
Speech and language are essential skills for communicating, learning, and understanding. If your kid has challenges with speech and language, it’s never too late to refer them to an NDIS speech pathology service provider for treatment. For more information about speech pathology or other helpful topics, view the articles on our website.
