Speech And Language Therapy

“The ability to communicate is central to all that we do, to who we are, how we learn and how we relate to others” (Ross, Leeds Metropolitan University, 2007).

Speech and language therapy at Neuropedia provides evidence-based service for all infants, children and adolescents who exhibit difficulties with expressive speech and receptive language communication, and auditory processing skills. We understand that if a child has communication delays, it may lead to neuropsychological problems, isolation, academic delays and frustration.

Our speech and language therapists assist children with pre-linguistic skills. speech and language delays, apraxia, , poor oral-motor skills, dysfluency, articulation problems, reading/spelling difficulties and social communication delays

We strongly believe in managing children through a multi-disciplinary team approach, in an environment known to them, which includes both home and school settings.

A 2-year-old child can say 2-3 word sentences using limited vocabulary. While a 3-year-old can ideally say up to 3-4 word sentences, using different words with a rich vocabulary of 1000 words. If your child has not met the milestone yet, it would be prudent to consult a speech therapist for possible speech defects in your child. Infants, children, and adolescents can exhibit a range of speech defects and may have problems expressing words. At Neuropedia, our speech therapy clinic in Dubai, we provide evidence-based assistance to all children who need help to tackle speech delays, dysfluency, poor-oral motor skills, reading difficulties, and articulation problems.

According to our speech therapist in Dubai and Sharjah, speech lag or speech defects may develop in a child due to:

1. Hearing loss

2. Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia)- a medical condition when children have difficulty pronouncing D, L, R, S, T, and ‘th’ sounds.

3. Neurological defects due to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or internal brain trauma

4. Lack of stimulation

5. Isolation

6. Academic delays

Parents must also know the following signs and symptoms of their speech delays or speech defects.

Symptoms of Speech Defects

1. Difficulty pronouncing D, L, R, S, T, and Z.

2. Using 25 or fewer words by two years of age and less than 200 words by three years of age.

3. Reluctant to ask for objects with their names

4. Problems in articulating sentences

5. Eating up words

Speech defect treatment for toddlers is easier than that of grown-ups as the delay in diagnosis usually adds more symptoms to the list. Also, children's brain development is highest under five years of age; hence, they can easily overcome speech defects.

Diagnosis of speech defects

At first, our speech therapist talks to the child to observe their speech defects. Then, they examine their mouth, palate, and tongue to diagnose any physical anomaly or episodes of tongue ties. Also, they examine their auditory responses, as the perception of overlapping sounds or hearing loss can change their response. Depending on the examination, our speech and language pathologist will plan an adept speech therapy treatment.

Treatment for speech defects in children

Speech-language therapy

Speech-language therapy will be an effective first-line treatment. Every child is different, with different speech defects and learning pace. This treatment focuses on eradicating all speech defects holistically.
The speech-language therapy will include:

1. Repeating words with syllables D, L, R, S, T, ‘th’, etc.

2. Asking a child to pronounce words slowly and consciously

3. Listening and responding to auditory signals

4. Pointing out objects with their names

5. Reading textbooks as per syllabus

Early intervention services

The child may develop behavioural changes and become hesitant, anxious or jittery due to speech defects or lag. Which is why our speech therapists in Dubai and Sharjah incorporate early intervention services in therapies to bring about an all-around behavioural and developmental improvement in children. According to one popular research, 2 ½ years to 5 years old children face reading difficulties in elementary school. Speech delays can also cause problems in socialisation. However, with an early diagnosis and early intervention services, the child will cope with speech problems faster.

Treating the underlying condition

Occasionally, speech defects can be associated with underlying causes. Hence, the treatment can be targeted at eradicating or at least negating speech defects due to those underlying conditions. This treatment approach may include various steps, such as -

1. Solving auditory problems

2. Correcting mouth or tongue anomalies

3. Occupational therapy

4. Physical therapy

5. Applied behavioural therapy (ABA)

6. Management of neurological disorders

What makes Neuropedia one of the best speech therapy clinics in Dubai and Sharjah?

Neuropedia is one of the best speech therapy centres in Dubai. Our research and evidence-based approach help us provide better diagnosis and treatment to children of various age groups. Our experts also train parents to encourage their children to overcome speech deficits with a holistic approach. Many children have already benefitted considerably from our therapies. So reach out to our experts if your child needs help with speech defects.