25 Aug Let’s Talk Speech Therapy
Before deciding to become an occupational therapist, I initially started applying to colleges with the intent to become a physical therapist. That’s a story for another day, but I ended up spending the first couple years of school taking the same courses as PT majors. Once I graduated and started working in the real world, I was amazed how much time I would spend working with speech therapists. Many of the children I have treated over the course of more than two decades have received speech therapy services as well.
Speech therapists are also known as speech language pathologists (SLPs). They specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of speech and language impairments, cognitive-communication disorders, voice disorders, and swallowing disorders. Occupational therapists often work alongside SLPs and PTs in pediatric clinics. We can also work independently like in my business. Therefore, it is important to check in with SLPs, collaborate with them at times, and follow them on social media to keep up with current resources.
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing speech language pathologist Kelli Meyer. She is the voice and face of Speedy Speech, a popular YouTube channel providing speech therapy tips. I reached out to Kelli so she could share with us some of her top tips for parents. We discussed some important skills like modeling, articulation, eye contact, behavioral skills and more.
Watch the interview below to see what we shared and how using a play-based approach to therapy can be beneficial to everyone involved in your child’s care. Use this link to watch directly on the Playapy YouTube channel.
Amy Baez is the Founder of Playapy and Creator of the PALS Handwriting Program. She is a pediatric occupational therapist, speaker, and parent coach with over 20 years of experience.