Superior Speech Therapy for Children and Adults is Like Making a Cake

September 25, 2013

We talk about experiences in life; when young we speak about our teachers, friends, girl, or boyfriends.  When we marry and work, it's our boss, wife, husband, kids, and neighbors that are discussed.

Our current interests are topics for conversation.  Many people who undergo rehabilitative therapy talk about their therapist or the clinical result.  It is common to hear patients at the hospital speak of their experiences in speech therapy.  People also report their speech therapy experiences in social media such as Facebook.

One of the conversations is the "Therapy didn't work for me," where it is insinuated that it was the therapy that didn't work.  Often that is the end of  therapy for some; "I tried therapy and it didn't work."  Sometimes a statement like that puts the blame squarely on the therapy.

It's not the therapy didn't work necessarily.  There are many important factors such as (1.) the individual who receives it, and (2.) his or her cognitive ability following brain injury, as well as the (3.) type of therapy given, (4.) the approach, (5.) the frequency, (6.) the length of care, (7.) the clinical relationship as well as a host of other factors.  Then there is the (8.) experience and the competence level of the therapist and  (9.) the family who are either very involved or rarely a part of the process.

The point I wish to make is that it is not the  therapy that works or not; it is all the factors that go into the mix.  Like a recipe for a cake:  if any of the ingredients is not of the highest quality, then the end result will not be satifactory.  Speech therapy is most often necessary when people have difficulty with the process of speaking.  It takes a very committed person, and a competent therapist who is committed in order to get the results desired.

Now we are moving towards greatly diminished visits for medical and rehabilitative care, where those with communication difficulties and their support system or family will have to  consider other alternatives for speech therapy.  Unfortunately our health care system can not bankroll long term therapy for most and  therefore the family of the person with the speaking difficulty will have to shoulder more of the responsibility when it comes to cost, time, and involvement in the therapy process.  One of the ways that can happen is to find a competent and experienced therapist who understands how to approach speaking difficulties of this magnitude and having the therapist teach the caregiver what to do at home.

The Teaching of Talking, Learn To Do Expert Speech and Language Stimulation at Home with Children and Adults will help you learn how to stimulate speech and language at home, well after insurance reimbursement for services ends.  You may order it or the audible copy on our website by clicking on the hyperlink above and receive an autographed copy of the softcover book.  The audible book of The Teaching of Talking is now available on iTunes and Amazon.

I am also available to mentor speech language pathologists or caregivers so they will learn the methods more rapidly and completely while applying them at home.    

Wishing you a great result for your loved one!                                  

Best Regards,  
Mark A. Ittleman

facebook:                      http://www.facebook.com/teachingoftalking
Teaching of Talking:  http://www.teachingoftalking.com