Pediatricians, for one reason or another, often advise concerned parents to “wait and see” if a young child’s speech and language development will catch up to the typical milestones on its own. Many don’t see any harm in waiting to seek the advice and help of a Hermosa Beach speech therapist. They likely think that things will work themselves out on their own, or that the child can start speech therapy later, if it’s truly needed.
A “wait and see” approach may be fine for other aspects of child development, but when it comes to speech and language development, it’s best to get an evaluation by a licensed Hermosa Beach speech therapist as soon as you suspect there may be an issue—even if your pediatrician says otherwise.
We don’t mean to disparage pediatricians. There are many great ones out there, but they are generally not experts in speech and language development. They may not have read the research about the importance of early intervention for speech and language delays. Starting your child in speech therapy early can be beneficial for several different reasons.
Speech Therapy Now May Mean Fewer Challenges in School
You may be thinking, “Why does it matter if my child gets speech therapy now or later?” Or you may be of the mindset that if you wait, your child can get speech therapy through the public school system. However, when a child starts school with communication issues, it can often lead to other academic challenges, creating sort of a domino effect. For that reason, it is best to work on your child’s speech issues before they enter school. Also, speech therapy in South Bay schools requires that your child is pulled out of class to receive therapy, causing him or her to miss valuable classroom time. With an early start, you may be find that your child has no need to continue in special education once they reach school age because their delay has already been completely overcome!
Early Intervention Can Help Achieve Better Outcomes
In some cases, it has been shown that starting speech therapy at an early age is necessary to achieve optimal results. Especially when there is a more severe issue, early intervention is key! Waiting to start speech therapy could mean that your child’s speech and language development never reaches its full potential.
Consulting with a Speech Therapist Can Help Your Own Peace of Mind
If your pediatrician or another health professional has told you to wait, but you still have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, you should go ahead and contact a Hermosa Beach speech therapist for a consultation. A speech language pathologist from Lil’ Chit-Chat can meet with you and your child for an evaluation, and we will always be completely honest with you. If we have no concerns about your child’s speech development, we’ll tell you. But if there are issues that should be addressed by a speech therapist, we’ll determine the best therapy plan, based on their age and specific challenges.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have concerns about your child! We would love to talk with you! If you’d like to set up a consultation, we can set up a time to send a licensed speech language pathologist to your Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, or Manhattan Beach home to evaluate your child. We hope to hear from you soon!
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