Benefits Of Summer Speech Therapy
What Are the Benefits of Summer Speech Therapy?
As the days are getting sunnier and warmer, summertime is in full swing! When school lets out, taking a break from everything and relaxing can be tempting. However, from a speech therapy perspective, summer can be an ideal time to get the most out of sessions, improve upon areas of difficulty and catch up on skills. Because speech therapy for school-aged children is play-based, summer speech therapy can definitely be part of a fun and stimulating summertime routine. Here are our top 9 reasons why summer speech therapy is the perfect time to invest in learning and improving speech and language skills for children, as well as their parents. Take advantage of the slower summer months by getting started with speech therapy, it is as simple as scheduling your free introductory call!
- More Time
This may seem obvious, but with school out for the summer, children simply have more hours in the day that are available for such things as speech therapy. This can make attending appointments easier and more convenient than during the school year. They will also have more time to work on and practice their skills at home.
- More Energy
It can be challenging to squeeze in more learning with a child after a long day at school. Over the summer months, without the added stimulation and exhaustion from school, a child may find it easier to focus and participate in their speech therapy sessions.
- New and Different Experiences
Nice, warm summer weather means more opportunities to get out and enjoy. This can lead to more experiences and opportunities to explore and incorporate the specific goals of speech therapy, which in turn can help to enhance your child’s progress and development. For example, a trip to a zoo or museum can offer opportunities to expand their vocabulary, or planning a trip to the beach provides opportunities to practice organizational and planning skills and category development.
- Switching Up Routines
For many families, summer can often feel a bit chaotic or disorganized. Having a scheduled weekly appointment with your child’s speech therapist can help to maintain some structure and routine. Children thrive when they know what’s happening next, and this sense of structure can help make the summer months run smoothly and calmly.
- Get Ready for Back to School
Each new school year brings a new grade, a new set of expectations, and different skills that go along with it. The summer months can offer great opportunities to prepare for the school year ahead and catch up on any speech and language skills that need improvement. This means that your child will go into the new school year feeling ready and confident! Don’t wait until the summer is almost over to get support for your child, get started with Great Speech by scheduling your free introductory call today!
- Tackle End of Year Goals
The end of the school year typically brings your child’s end-of-the-year report card. These can be very helpful when it comes to establishing goals and identifying areas that need improvement. Setting specific goals can help to encourage your child to focus and continue to work hard during their speech therapy appointments. Using the start of the next school year as a timeline to aim to reach these goals can also be a strong motivator.
- Flexible Scheduling
During the school year, it can be difficult to squeeze everything in outside of school and work hours. This means that speech therapy appointments often take place in the late afternoon and evening. Many parents may notice that their child is more able to focus and retain information in the mornings as opposed to later in the day. The summer months mean that there is more flexibility when scheduling appointments, so your child can make the most of their speech therapy appointments.
- The Convenience of Online Speech Therapy
At Great Speech, all of our speech therapy appointments take place through our online platform. This means that speech therapy can happen anywhere where you have a quiet room and a wifi connection. So whether you are at the cottage, on a holiday, or enjoying a staycation, your child’s speech therapy can continue. Maintaining consistent appointments is essential when it comes to meeting goals and improving skills.
- Planning for the future
Once the school year is underway, there is often an increased number of children who are seeking the services of a speech and language pathologist. This can sometimes mean that it is more difficult to get your first choice in therapist or appointment times. You can avoid this problem by getting started with speech therapy over the summer, and creating a long-term speech therapy plan that works for you, your schedule, and your whole family. Once you have started with children’s speech therapy, you can simply book the weekly appointment time that works best for you and your child in advance.
While the summer months are definitely a time to relax, take it slow and enjoy the sunshine, they also offer ample opportunities for your child to practice and master their speech, language, and communication skills. At Great Speech, our online speech therapy program means you don’t have to plan your days around commuting to the appointment, finding parking, or waiting in waiting rooms. Each and every appointment can take place in the comfort of your own home, or wherever you might be spending your summer! With our play-based learning model for children, your child will look forward to the stimulation and interaction that each appointment brings. In fact, speech therapy can be the ultimate boredom buster for your child! Get started before the summer slips away by scheduling your free introductory call today!