Have you ever seen your child’s speech therapist playing a game of Pop the Pig or enjoying a make believe picnic with dinosaurs and wondered “how is this really helping my child’s speech or language skills?” Today we’re talking about the power of play in a speech therapy session and its essential role in a child’s communication development. Play is not just a wonderful way for children to learn, it is the way they learn best. During play, children are able to absorb information and practice skills in a low stress, enjoyable environment that fosters engagement, learning and confidence.
Building Confidence
For many children, communication with others can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s an area they’ve struggled with. When a speech language pathologist centers a therapy session around play, they create a safe space for a child to express themselves organically without fear of judgment or failure. When children gain confidence during sessions and see they can effectively communicate, they are more likely to transfer those skills to other life situations.
Developing Social Skills
Speech and language skills aren’t just about individual growth, they also impact a person’s social interactions. When children are able to play together they learn to take turns, share and communicate with their peers. Through games and activities, speech therapists can create opportunities for kids to practice social skills in a low-pressure environment. This helps children build meaningful relationships with others.
Individualized Learning
Each child is unique, so why shouldn’t their therapy sessions be as well? Tailoring visits to a child’s preferred interests makes therapy not only more enjoyable, but more effective. The beauty of a session centered around play is that it creates a variable platform for targeting various areas of needs.
Promoting Parent-Child Interaction
Using play to build a child’s speech and language skills isn’t just confined to therapy sessions! Therapists should provide carryover activities for parents and caregivers to implement into their everyday lives. When caregivers use these play-based activities, it reinforces the skills learned in therapy sessions while also promoting the bond between parent and child.
Using play within speech therapy sessions isn’t just about making the sessions more enjoyable (although that is a huge part of it!); it’s about creating an immersive, engaging space for your child to unlock their full communication potential.
Therapy Tree Services is proud to provide individualized, play-focused sessions for our patients. In our strive to help all children reach their highest potential, our therapists will provide education to caregivers that will empower them to use play-based techniques in everyday life. Our speech language pathologists will work with parents to create a learning environment that incorporates both a child’s interests and strengths.
To schedule an evaluation for a speech and language assessment, contact our office at 919.238.9088 or use the “Contact Us” link on our website.
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