The Importance of Parent Involvement

by Alissa Augustensen

One of the most important tools to improve a child’s early speech and language skills is often the most accessible tool available: a parent or caregiver. Research has shown that the active involvement of parents and caregivers can help a child make more progress towards their goals rather than if they were to be passive observers. This is not always as easy as it seems. When a child is diagnosed with a language disorder or delay, parents and caregivers frequently take a backseat to the speech therapist, who is more proficient with language enhancing techniques and strategies. However, no strategy can compare to the role parents play when carrying over skills with their child at home.

Parents’ Role

Although therapists build rapport with the children they work with, they can never replace a caregiver’s connection with their child. The parent or caregiver best understands their child’s personality, what makes them feel better when they are upset, what makes them happy, and overall has a more complete understanding of their child across different situations and contexts.

Additionally, a therapy session is just a small snapshot of what can be done to help a child make progress towards their goals. Speech-language pathologists have a limited amount of time with the child to work
towards their goals, whereas parents or caregivers spend a lot more time with their child.

Although it may seem that speech therapy would work better in a structured environment like a therapy room, it can be just as beneficial for a young child to learn at home. Children often learn best through routines and activities of daily life, whether they are directly or indirectly involved. These types of activities happen more frequently with caregivers than with therapists. Experiences such as family time at home or on a vacation, meal time, bath time, and even something as simple as a walk are all fabulous opportunities for learning. The options are endless!

The Goal

Speech therapy is available in order to help a child improve and develop their speech and language skills. As speech-language pathologists, we want children to be able to communicate with everyone, especially their most important communication partners: their family members! We want children to be able to express their wants and needs, their happiness, their frustrations, and any other way in which they are feeling with the people who understand them best. Carrying over the taught skills into the home environment allows them to develop their speech and language skills with experiences and items that they are most familiar with.

Want more information about how you can enhance your child’s language
development? Contact The Speech Studio! Call (914) 893–2223, check out our website at www.thespeechstudiony.com or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thespeechstudio.