Sunday, April 7, 2013What we are learning from Caregivers who have questions about speech therapy? The following article reviews a questions that was posed today by a Caregiver today. “Many speech therapists believe that you should not “cue” the person with the speaking difficulty or that you should just “wait and let them find the word or the thought they wish to convey.”
My comment: A person with aphasia already has great difficulty recalling words and formulating the language they wish to convey. If that is so, why would anyone want to make a person who has difficulty with recall or thought formulation sit there and try to say what they want to say? (It’s like asking a person who does not swim, to swim across the lake.)
The Teaching of Talking Method purports there should be little or no frustration within the walls of the speech therapy office, or for that matter, at home where they reside. Who wants to be frustrated? I know of no one who wishes that!
The mark of truly successful speech and language stimulation is that there should be little or no frustration and that speaking should be an easy task. The easier the task, the better. When a person who has difficulty speaking is shown a way they can utter speech and language they are happy, relieved and motivated. That is truly what I believe should be happening within a speech therapy interchange. No frustration, and lots of talking.
Some therapists believe there should be no cues, mimicking, or imitation. The person with the speaking difficulty needs a model to imitate. They are seemingly lost when they attempt to speak. When a therapist or caregivers says the word or words clearly and concisely and in an easy manner, the person with the speaking difficulty should be able to closely imitate and replicate the model. The person with the speaking difficulty must be stimulable; by that I mean they must be able to repeat words or sounds with some degree of accuracy to be successful with the Teaching of Talking Method.
When the person with the speaking difficulty says a word or string of words in imitation, the chances of being able to say the utterance again is improved. Why? Because they have been successful with a task and the likelihood of it happening again is higher. When given cues and imitation opportunities the ability to pay attention improves, as well the ability to listen to the sounds of words and the way words are stringed together to express a thought. Success breeds success; frustration breeds avoidance, and dislike for the whole speech and language process.
Remember, to help the person who has a speaking difficulty, say a word or thought by actually saying it with them, and then having them repeat it. Like teaching someone how to swim, don’t just throw them in the water, teach them the strokes; look them directly in the eye, say the word slowly and have them watch your face, lips and tongue. Have them say what needs to be said with you, and then after you. Before long they will be swimming or talking with improvement.
See the original article:
What every Caregiver Should Know RE: SpeechTherapy
at https://www.facebook.com/mark.ittleman
or The Teaching of Talking
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