The extraordinary humiliation felt by a child is 100x greater than an adult. That’s because they haven’t had the life experience yet to learn coping tools that may aid them in getting out of sticky situations. So, when they’re backed into the last bathroom stall sweating profusely, heart racing and surrounded by Billy the Bully and his cronies, very often they feel they have to endure whatever humiliation or pain that’s about to hit them.
As a parent, there’s only one thing worse than knowing that poor bullied kid is your child—and that’s not knowing about it. Often children won’t confide in their parents. They’re already embarrassed and self-conscious about bullying. The last thing they want to do is relive that experience by telling someone else. So, whether or not you know that your child is having problems at school due to their speech disorder, it’s still critical that this is addressed as young and as soon as possible. Giving them the best chance to resolve their speech disorder is not only a confidence builder for them, and will help them throughout their entire lifetime, but they can personally tell Billy exactly who he won’t be abusing anymore.
Here’s How the Role of a Bilingual Speech Pathologists Plays Out in Your Child’s Development
One of the biggest allies your child can have is a bilingual speech pathologist. When a child feels understood on a level that they can trust, they will begin to feel safe. When that feeling of safety sets in, learning can begin. Here’s how your bilingual speech pathologist will help your child.
- They understand your child’s problem. Not just the speech disorder, but how that insecurity festers inside of them and how they deal with it. A speech pathologist through their experience with children has the tools to know exactly how to help your child through not just the technical skills to overcome a speech disorder but also build confidence to strengthen their overall self-esteem. This self-esteem lays the foundation for self-acceptance and patience with their own progress.
- They make your child comfortable. A bilingual speech pathologist’s primary concern is to make your child comfortable with the process. It’s the first step in building trust. A child will self-protect as long as they feel they have a reason to do so. That means their defenses are up. A bilingual speech pathologist knows how to lower those defenses so they feel comfortable enough to let down their guard and begin the learning process.
- They build your child’s confidence. Confidence is achieved when we accomplish something we did not believe we could. When what we thought was just a “way of life” suddenly breaks down and we now install a new belief system that we can do that thing, that’s when our confidence is built. It’s no different for children. They may not be able to convey how they’re feeling in words necessarily, but they feel the aggravation and frustration the same as we do. A bilingual speech pathologist can help your child identify those uncomfortable feelings, hold space for the child to feel them, and then offer an alternative so that the child sees that they can achieve tasks which were previously assumed to be part of life.
- They prepare your child for the big stage (school). This is one of the biggest positive outcomes that a child can undergo when in speech therapy. It’s amazing, actually. To see children who have improved their speech communicate and interact with other children and be accepted and befriended by those children. Well, you can imagine it warms any parent’s heart. Compare that to the incidents where a child felt isolated in school. Eating lunch alone, being picked last to partner up in class is a hurtful and depressing feeling for a child. Improving their speech can literally change their entire life and how they see their world and interact with it.
- They are the first ones to diagnose your child and help you understand the support system that you need to build as a parent. As a parent, you know that panicky feeling when you’re told something’s wrong. Your mind races and you immediately assess the degree of the crisis and what resources you can pull together to solve the problem. It doesn’t matter how much it costs or how far across the ends of the Earth you have to go to find it, you will bring home the solution to your child if it means making them feel better. When it comes to understanding why your child is having speech delays or problems articulating their communication, a bilingual speech pathologist can diagnose your child and explain that diagnosis in a way that makes sense within the context of a strategy plan on how to remedy the situation.
Does this mean your speech pathologist is a magician? Of course not. They’ve just had the necessary training that allows them to perform in some cases what seems impossible. The end result can feel miraculous, but it’s really up to the relationship between the therapist and your child to determine the results.
Is speech therapy effective for all children?
Speech therapy doesn’t guarantee a 100% result, but definitely helps children improve and overcome challenges. It isn’t a one size fits all approach. It most certainly needs a detailed plan of attack to ensure it’s a successful fit. In the race of being the best, children with needs are neglected, however, with speech therapy, such children get a chance to re-enter the race.
Conclusion
Do Speech Pathologists actually have magical powers? Then, how are they able to transform children without use of any machines or external resources? It’s just like casting a magical spell where certain words create a binding effect and results are in front of us.
Ms. Paula, SLP Bilingual Speech + Language Services specializes in helping children with speech disorders get the help they need to empower themselves, build confidence and learn how to overcome adversity through bilingual speech therapy. If you need a speech therapist, contact us here.
