Friday, August 29, 2008

Speech Training

Dear Client,

Your email question reminded me of how much patience I needed to help train my 2-1/2-year-old daughter (just a few months older than your daughter), to speak and breathe correctly so she could be understood by others. Her words were garbled because of the cleft pallet she was born with.

My speech therapist taught me to begin a daily routine of saying unhurriedly and lovingly the same word correctly over and over whenever I felt my child. She was a very slow eater due to the amount of food that inadvertently went through her cleft pallet instead of being chewed and swallowed.

Sometimes I'd sing the word or say it in a higher or lower voice to get her attention. Her eyes were on me all the time when she ate. She began to speak in my tone of voice, and breathe in and out just like me.

Three months later she repeated the word correctly and clearly for the first time. I was ecstatic and wanted to shout to everyone that my child got it. Anyone could understand her.

In the months that followed I began to utter new words, and instead of three months, she'd repeat the new expressions in a week or two.

She got faster and each time she said a new word, I was filled with hope and renewed dedication.

Today my daughter is a psychiatric nurse whose words help people deal with their depression and needs.

It is my hunch that you will one day be a fine teacher for your daughter and others.

Good luck and thank you for writing a great question.

Ruth

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