I never expected my baby, my child, my parent to have a speech problem.
What do I do first?
1. Never change your positive attitude toward your loved one. Help your baby, your child, or your parent be the best he or she can be.
We cannot anticipate what difficulties will arise as we move through life. When a speech problem presents itself, it is unexpected. Then as a caring family member, our worry shows through to the person with the speech difficulty. Take 3 slow deep breaths each time you think about "speech as a problem". Think about separating this problem from your loved one who always remains a special person in your life. Learn to keep your face warm, caring, and cheerful. Avoid judging him or her if speaking is a challenge. Avoid correcting the speech when you think you need to jump in to help.
Keep your unconditional love in tact. The most successful families I have met, see their child or parent as the same - no matter what health issue they are facing. Unless the child or parent with the speech problem has questions or seems worried, avoid discussing the concerns you have in front of him or her. It's usually not needed, but if it is, save that discussion for later.
Bottom line - Work on your positive attitude before moving on to the next steps. Keep going back to this first step each day.
2. Get assistance early from someone with experience in speech and language difficulties.
When seeking qualified assistance, start early. Don't take the "wait and see if it corrects itself" path. One visit to check out the apparent speech problem is usually all you need to understand the situation. The first appointment to assess the situation IS WORTH YOUR TIME. You can decide later if you want to invest more time and energy into additional therapy appointments.
Some people think contacting a speech-language pathologist means getting into a long therapy program. It is often not the case. Never feel you are stuck in therapy. If your well meaning doctor or family member or friend says, "wait", do the opposite - don't wait. Check it out. Take your advice from a well trained Speech-Language Pathologist.
When making contact with a speech-language pathologist (SLP)
Identify your concern.
Before proceeding with the first appointment, ask important questions.
What are your credentials? Are you registered? What experience do you have with this type of speech problem? Who else can I see that understands this problem?
Is this service available through our local health or school program? Who do I contact?
Where should I go to get help?
- Check out your local services. If your child is in school, contact your teacher or school principal to find out how to contact the school speech-language pathologist. Ask how long it will take to get an assessment by an SLP and if that person is fully qualified - registered in the profession.
- If your child is very young or a preschooler, contact your local public health office, your local hospital, or your family doctor's office to find out how to contact the health services speech-language pathologist. Ask how long it will take to get an assessment by an SLP and if that person is fully qualified - registered in the profession.
- If you are concerned about an adult with speech difficulties, contact your local hospital to find out how to contact your local speech-language pathologist that works with adults. Ask how long it will take to get an assessment by an SLP and if that person is fully qualified - registered in the profession.
Sometimes a well meaning administrator, doctor, nurse, teacher, or family member will say, "The problem seems minor, wait and see what happens." Remember, you are asking for an assessment from a qualified SLP. Insist on the SLP doing the assessment then decide if there really is a concern.
If the wait is long, keep your name on the wait list. In the meantime, do two things.
a) Get a hearing assessment to rule out a hearing loss. Check in your local directory and when booking an appointment ask for a qualified, registered audiologist to do the hearing assessment.
b) Check out private practice SLP services.
- Ask your education or health care SLP for ways to find out about private services while you are waiting.
- Go online to check with your local college or association of speech-language pathologists for names of those in private services.
- Making a call to another SLP regarding private practice may be worth your time. Funding options are sometimes available.