It is characterized by difficulty pronouncing certain sounds correctly, most commonly the ‘Rr’ sound and the ‘Ss’ sound. These issues are common and even expected when children learn to speak, speech therapy may be helpful if they persist beyond the age of 3. These disorders often don’t seem to have an obvious cause, but can be associated with hearing loss, structural abnormalities in the mouth such as a cleft palate, or nervous system conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Apraxia of speech occurs when the signals sent by the brain to form words don’t always reach the muscles that are used to produce sounds. This often results in errors with the rhythm, stress, and/or intonation of speech.
Children may have issues with either receptive or expressive language. Children who struggle with receptive language may experience difficulty answering questions or follow directions. With expressive language disorders, there is trouble forming sentences, asking questions, and starting a conversation.
A stutter or a stammer is a type of speech fluency problem in which a person tends to repeat words, phrases, or parts of a word. They may also have a difficulty getting a word out or may stretch out a certain sound for longer than normal. Children affected by stuttering often feel uncomfortable in public settings. In most cases the problem is linked to anxiety and/or fear and is treated as such under the KIDS Program© using not only speech therapy but also other holistic measures to treat the underlying condition.
Children who speak too loudly, too softly or frequently have a hoarse voice may have a voice disorder. Voice disorders are common in children who scream a lot, sometimes leading to formation of polyps or nodules in the throat or vocal cords. This causes stress leading to speaking with unnecessary force.
Under the KIDS Program©, SLT is employed for the following conditions along with other natural healing therapies: