Speech Therapy Session in Toronto

Preparing Your Child for Their First Speech Therapy Session in Toronto

Your child's first speech therapy session marks a wonderful and important milestone! It's perfectly natural to experience a blend of excitement and perhaps a touch of nervousness as you embark on this journey. Many families in Toronto feel the same way as they begin on the path of speech therapy, and this is all right. At Thera+Kids, we want the experience to feel simple and joyful.

While the first session may be a new thing, if some planning is put in, a child can feel safe, at ease, and ready to learn. Here are some easy tips to prepare your child for their first speech therapy session in Toronto.

Understanding How Speech Therapy Works?

Speech therapy helps children with their speech, language and communication development. This may include:

Saying words more clearly
Expanding verbal expression
Talking with others more easily
Improving language comprehension

The Thera+Kids team of speech-language pathologists collaborates closely with families to develop a personalized plan that meets each child's unique needs and goals. Therapy aims to empower your child, building their confidence and skills for everyday living.

Talking About Speech Therapy in a Child-Friendly Way

One of the most important things you can do is set the initial stage where your child is comfortable with the idea of attending speech therapy. Some tips are:

Keep it simple and positive: Use language that your child will easily understand. Let your child know speech therapy is a fun way to learn new things and get even better at talking. For example, "We're going to visit a special helper who will play some games with you to help your words come out super clearly!"

Focus on the "helper" rather than "fixing": Avoid using expressions like "wrong" or "fix." Emphasize that there are some new skills to be learned with a friendly helper.

Use analogies: Anything that your child enjoys, use that to relate to speech therapy. "It's like going to soccer practice to get better at kicking the ball, but this is practice for our talking!"
Read social stories: Some beautiful social stories can be found online and at libraries that treat the experience very gently and reassuringly. These stories may help your child picture the process.
Answer their questions honestly: Go ahead and answer your child's questions in simple and well-fitting ways. Also, if you don't know the answer, sometimes, just say: "That's a great question! Maybe we can ask our helper together if we don't know."

Prepare your Child for Meeting with a "Therapist"

The term therapists can feel a bit too formal to younger children. You can ease that formality by doing the following:

Use the therapist's name positively: Use the speech therapist's name beforehand in a positive way. For example, you can say, "We're going to see Christine at Thera+Kids. She's a really nice lady."
Explain the role: Briefly explain what the therapist does. For instance, "Christine helps kids learn to say their words and sounds better. She has lots of fun games and activities."
Role-play: Try simple role-playing activities at home. Pretend you are the helper and have fun communication activities with your child, e.g., naming objects or making sounds. This will help clear the process.

What to Expect from the First Session

Knowing what will happen can help you relax throughout the entire experience. At Thera+Kids, the first session is welcoming and gentle. Here's what will happen:

Meet and Greet: The child-parent gets to meet and know the speech therapist.
Sharing: The speech therapist will inquire about your child and their communication development, health history, and your concerns.
Play and Observe: The kid plays with toys, goes through picture books, and talks with the therapist. This observation will allow the therapist to observe how the kid communicates. Sometimes, we also use formal assessment tools like the Preschool Language Scale or Picture Vocabulary Test to gain a better understanding of a child's language skills and development.
Listening and Learning: The speech therapist will make a conscious effort to listen to the child's speech and language during the interaction.
Proper Planning: Along with discussing what the therapist actually noticed, potential next steps are laid out towards the end of the session.

Celebrate That First Step!

The first session becomes the starting point for a journey lasting a lifetime. Making this step will be a testimony to how much you care for and are committed to supporting your child’s communication development.

Remember, changes may not become instantly obvious, but the little efforts will surely help!

Get Started with Thera+Kids!

If you’re searching for good, compassionate speech therapist in Toronto, Thera+Kids will be happy to work with you. Our warm and knowledgeable therapists are all passionate about standing with children and their families every step of the way.

Visit Thera+Kids to learn more or schedule your first session today. Let’s move forward — together.