It has been said that ?He who talks well will more than likely do well. He who has good ideas and talks well will lead?. Communication has a major impact on personal, educational and career success. A person?s communicative skills are more predictive of their ability to achieve in life, than either socio-economic level or even IQ! Speaking, listening, reading, writing and social interaction skills are fundamental building blocks for learning and success in life.
For most children, communication skills develop without any extra effort. It is, therefore, easy for us to overlook the impact of speech on their lives. No one is more keenly aware of its importance than the parents of a speech-language delayed child. These parents wait with intense anticipation for the day when their child can share their inner thoughts and feelings freely with them. For these parents, speech becomes a treasured gift.
Speech-language disorders are extremely common, affecting about 10% of all children. These disorders can develop from recurring ear infections, or co-occur with developmental delays like Autism or Down?s Syndrome. For most affected children, there are no other associated medical or developmental difficulties. All children do best when provided with early testing and treatment.
Speech-Language Pathologists are uniquely qualified to help. They are experts in normal and abnormal communication development, assessment and treatment. College registered, they have Master?s Degrees in Communication Disorders, and work in private practice, treatment centres, school or hospital settings. They can be of great assistance to parents who want to give their child the best possible start in life.
Parents looking for help, will be pleased to learn that London now offers an intensive Saturday therapy program. The first of its kind in the city, the ?Talk It Up? program was designed by Speech=Language Pathologists for children aged 3 to 8. Run in eight week blocks, each child receives a speech-language assessment and therapy plan, individual daily therapy and a three hour communication-enriched classroom program. In the summer, a similar intensive program is offered weekdays at ?Talk About Fun? Speech Camp.
Both programs are extremely cost-effective. Treatment gains tend to be rapid, due to the intensive nature of the programming. Interested parents are invited to check their employee benefits or third party insurance for speech-language pathology coverage. They are welcome to call London Speech and Language Centre for more information, or a free consultation visit.
Submitted by:
Kerry Erle, M.Cl.Sc.
Speech-Language Pathologist, Director
CCC-SP, Reg. CASLPO, S-LP
London Speech and Language Centre
| 
About the LDRC
