3 Ways Speech Therapy Can Help a Child with Cerebral Palsy

 Posted on May 27, 2024 in Cerebral Palsy

When a child has cerebral palsy, their coordination and movement do not develop typically. It can make it seem very hard to grow up in an environment that has been built for people who do not have CP. Many aspects of the disorder can prove challenging for a growing and developing child, but fortunately, advances in medicine have managed to find ways to significantly improve quality of life. This article will discuss one specific method for helping kids with CP navigate the world - speech therapy - and the ways it can help the child. Like all therapies, CP can be quite costly. If you are considering speech therapy for your child, speak with an experienced Illinois birth injury attorney to understand what financial assistance might be available to you.

Improved Communication

There are many techniques employed during speech therapy that can help children with CP improve their communication skills. There are exercises aimed at building the muscles in the mouth and throat that are used when speaking. Others focus on practicing manipulating parts of the mouth - including the tongue, lips, and jaw - to move in a way that helps produce clearer sounds. For particularly challenging cases, a speech therapist might recommend the use of a communication device until speech is easier accomplished.

Improved Nutrition

A lesser-known fact about speech therapy is that it sometimes seems to focus more on eating than speaking. The movements associated with chewish and swallowing happen to overlap with movements made while speaking. Additionally, strengthening the muscles in the mouth and throat that are involved in eating tends to be a way to improve speaking capabilities.

Since the muscles responsible for all mouth movements tend to be uncoordinated, eating can be extremely difficult for children with CP. Focusing on those muscles can not only train the child in proper mouth use but also help them gain essential nutrition.

Improved Confidence

Imagine being a child sitting in a kindergarten classroom, where all the other children are giggling and chatting, and you are sitting off to the side, unable to take part. It can be extremely isolating and can begin to affect a child’s confidence over time. Luckily, speech therapists know how to help the child express themself in a way that other people can understand. In addition to the benefit of making their thoughts known, these children can move around with a new sense of confidence they hadn’t had before.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Cook County, IL Birth Injury Attorney

If your child has CP, speak with a skilled Chicago, IL birth injury lawyer to understand what options you have for compensating the costs of various therapies, including speech therapy. If something can make a positive difference in your child’s life, we at Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd. will fight for you to get compensation so you can help your child flourish despite the financial cost. Call us at 312-462-4200 to schedule a free consultation.