Aural Speech & Hearning Clinic

Some children find it too hard to communicate with others through speech. Thus it is imperative for them to learn how to communicate their thoughts and needs, make choices and interact with others. This is where a speech therapist can help. Here are some of the ways a speech therapist can help non-verbal children.

1. Develop a better mode of communication: Speaking is not the only mode of communication. A non-verbal child can learn to communicate through gestures, sign language, vocalization etc. A speech therapist can also teach them how to control their facial expressions while communicating with others. They could also be taught to use pictures of single button voice output devices.
2. Language Development: It is a misconception that speech therapy restricts itself to speech. Language development is a crucial part of speech therapy. Along with developing a vocabulary, a speech therapist will also be able to target concepts such as actions, sequencing, grammar, the use of pronouns, comprehension, categorization etc.
3. Improved Social Skills: If a child cannot communicate with others, he may withdraw into himself. Thus, finding a way to express himself and communicate with others is crucial to developing social skills. Non-verbal children often find that their pragmatic language skills are delayed or disordered. A speech therapist may use various tools such as role-playing, video modelling, social stories and specific apps designed for speech therapy to help the child develop these skills. When combined with aided communications, this can help the child develop social skills.
4. Better Reading: Literacy and communication go hand in hand. Nonverbal children may be taught to communicate through typing. This improves their spellings and in turn, helps improve their vocabulary and makes reading easier.
5. Enhanced Alternative Communication: As mentioned above, we do not communicate only through spoken words. Gestures, sign language, vocalizations and approximations are important modes of communication for non-verbal children. A speech therapist can work on these communication strategies and help develop them. For example, a child could make hand gestures to eat or drink or tap a person to get their attention. Some children have a limited ability to create certain sounds. These sounds can be made meaningful. For example, if the child can say ‘aa’ he could be taught to make that sound when he is hungry. The key here is to understand what are the aspects important to the individual and developing a mode of communication through sounds according to them.

Trouble with speech arises from a number of issues in the brain or the nerves that are responsible for the control of the larynx, vocal cords and facial muscles. Muscular disorders end up affecting the teeth, mouth and jaws which in turn will invariably impair speech. Sometimes many of the health conditions are present since childbirth whereas others might occur because of infections, injury, tumors and metabolic diseases.
There are different kinds of speech disorders; they are -

1. Aphasia is the inability to comprehend language in any form (written, spoken) and generally takes place because of disturbances in the brain.
2. Dysarthria is the condition that makes articulation difficult for patients suffering from it. Symptoms associated with dysarthia are difficulty swallowing and slurred speech.
3. Spasmodic dysphonia makes speaking a difficult job because of recurrent muscle spasms. These muscles affected in this disorder control the vocal chords, and therefore your speaking ability.

As most of the cases of speech disorders start to show early on in childhood, how can you tell if your child needs speech therapy?
Here are five signs that you should keep an eye out for:

1. There is a distinctive lack in social mixing or interactions. Children who are not able to comprehend and effectively respond to what you say need to be evaluated.
2. By the time the baby is twelve months old, she or he would be able to create words. By the time they turn eighteen months old they are able to connect words. If the ability to create such words or make gestures or sounds are absent or are markedly reduced in your child then you need the help of a speech therapist.
3. Parents are capable of understanding what their child says by the time they turn one and a half to two years old. If this is not the case then you will have to seek the help of a therapist.
4. If your baby is nearly three years old and is still incapable of uttering simple words such as ‘Daddy sleep’, ‘mommy hungry’ then you might need external help.
5. If your precious baby is significantly facing trouble with consonants such as ‘ma’ ‘ba’, ‘pa’ at the age of two or is incapable of making sounds such as ‘k’ or ‘g’ then your child most likely has a speech disorder. You should get him evaluated at the earliest.

Stammering or stuttering is a type of speech impairment where sounds or syllables are repeated involuntarily or there are unintended gaps in between words when the person is unable to make the desired sound. People develop stutters due to genetic flaws, motor functioning defects, coordination problems or due to psychological stressors. The condition can result in anxiety, depression and withdrawal from verbal communication.

How does homeopathy help?

A stutter can be practiced away or corrected by speech therapy but there is no specific medicine that can be used to cure stammering. Homeopathic medicines can provide relief from the symptoms by fixing flawed nervous functions, improve motor coordination and modify the vocal apparatus. Different homeopathic treatments can be used depending on the nature of the condition. The following is a list of homeopathic remedies and lifestyle changes that can be used to address the problem:

1. Foods rich in vitamin B6 like nuts, fish, bananas and chicken should be consumed regularly by children who have a stutter to help with motor functions.
2. Adults should avoid caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs as they cause hyper-stimulation of the nervous system.
3. Stramonium(jimsonweed) can be used when the stammering is violent and the person distorts his facial muscles heavily in order to be able to speak.
4. Lychopodium (clubmoss) can be useful for stammering as well as depression, memory weakness and sleep problems. This is especially helpful if the patient struggles with the last few words of a sentence.
5. Spigelia is beneficial for a mild stutter at the beginning of a sentence, often followed by undisturbed speech.
6. Causticum is prescribed when emotional excitability causes stammering, twitching of the facial muscles or problems in the vocal chords.
7. Staphysagria can aid in reducing social anxiety which often causes stammering i.e. the stammer only appears while interacting with strangers or authority figures.
8. Nux vomica (strychnine) is the medicine to use when stammering is a result of extreme stress or over work.
9. Fright or shock often causes speechlessness or stammering. Aconite can provide immediate relief in such cases.
10. Lachesis is an effective homeopathic medicine when the patient stutters over specific letters or syllables.
11. Gelsemium is used to treat stuttering after severe viral infections when the patient complains of a heavy tongue and lack of general coordination.

Most children are known to be talkative. However, some children may find it more difficult than others to speak clearly and expand their vocabulary. In such cases, a speech therapist may be needed. Here are a few frequently asked questions about speech therapists.

What is speech and language therapy?
Speech and language therapy is aimed at helping individuals develop better communication skills. These therapists can help a child enunciate properly, build a wider vocabulary, construct sentences and interact better with others. They can also help treat stutters and swallowing problems.

What does speech therapy involve?
Speech therapy can be practiced at home, in a clinic or at schools. The first step of this therapy is to set a clear goal. This goal should be measurable, realistic and be attached to a time frame. Therapy sessions may be in the form of group sessions or one-on-one sessions. This also includes parent education programs to help build an environment that fosters learning.

Can speech therapy benefit children with learning disabilities?
Speech therapy can be very beneficial for children with learning disabilities like autism or down syndrome. In such cases, a speech therapist can help the child develop better speech patterns and help them express themselves. By doing this, they can also make the child a better listener and help them follow simple instructions and answer questions.

When does a child need speech therapy?
If a child does not meet the general milestones for his or her age by the age of 2 years, he may need to see a speech therapist. This includes a limited vocabulary, using single words instead of phrases, answering questions by repeating the question etc. Not being able to pronounce vowels could also be a sign that speech therapy is needed.

How long will a child need speech therapy?
Each child learns at a different pace. Hence, there is no uniform duration of speech therapy. The duration of the therapy depends on the severity of the problem, the improvement shown in sessions and reinforcement available at home.

How can parents help with speech therapy?
A therapist has limited time available with the child. Hence, the responsibility of evaluating the child’s progress falls largely on the parents. Parents are involved in the therapy right from the stage of setting goals. Later, they can also help by reinforcing the therapist’s exercises at home. For this, the therapist may share instructional videos with the parents.

Stammering or stuttering is a type of speech impairment where sounds or syllables are repeated involuntarily or there are unintended gaps in between words when the person is trying to speak. People develop stutters due to genetic flaws, motor functioning defects, coordination problems or due to psychological stressors. The condition can result in anxiety, depression and withdrawal from verbal communication.

How does homeopathy help?

A stutter can be practised away or corrected by speech therapy but there is no specific medicine that can be used to cure stammering. Homeopathic medicines can provide relief from the symptoms by fixing flawed nervous functions, improve motor coordination and modify the vocal apparatus. Different homeopathic treatments can be used depending on the nature of the condition.

The following is a list of homeopathic remedies and lifestyle changes that can be used to address the problem:

1. Foods rich in vitamin B6 like nuts, fish, bananas and chicken should be consumed regularly by children who have a stutter to help with motor functions.
2. Adults should avoid caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs as they cause hyperstimulation of the nervous system.
3. Stramonium (jimsonweed) can be used when the stammering is violent and the person distorts his facial muscles heavily in order to be able to speak.
4. Lycopodium (club moss) can be useful for stammering as well as depression, memory weakness and sleep problems. This is especially helpful if the patient struggles with the last few words of a sentence.
5. Spigelia is beneficial for a mild stutter at the beginning of a sentence, often followed by undisturbed speech.
6. Causticum is prescribed when emotional excitability causes stammering, twitching of the facial muscles or problems in the vocal chords.
7. Staphysagria can aid in reducing social anxiety which often causes stammering i.e. the stammer only appears while interacting with strangers or authority figures.
8. Nux vomica (strychnine) is the medicine to use when stammering is a result of extreme stress or overwork.
9. Fright or shock often causes speechlessness or stammering. Aconite can provide immediate relief in such cases.
10. Lachesis is an effective homeopathic medicine when the patient stutters over specific letters or syllables.
11. Gelsemium is used to treat stuttering after severe viral infections when the patient complains of a heavy tongue and lack of general coordination.