Speech disorders and developmental delays are more common than most people think – for both children and adults. Many forms of speech therapy exist, including sessions offered by some schools. These services can be excellent in their own way and some children may thrive, but it’s not for everyone. We offer private speech therapy in Toronto, and it comes with many benefits.
The Benefits of Private Speech Therapy for Children and Adults
Whether you’re interested in speech therapy for yourself or your child, there are plenty of reasons to go private and it’s always worth it. It affords you more freedom and flexibility, among other things:
Individualized Treatment Plans
While school sessions are convenient and useful to an extent, they are often short, about 30 minutes. They’re also typically conducted with a handful of students at a time. Opting for private speech therapy means your child gets individual attention and longer, more focused sessions.
It also means that the treatment given and things worked on are tailored to each individual patient, rather than trying to address multiple people’s concerns at once. You can work with your therapist on creating a plan that’s just for you, and you’ll get much more out of each session.
Family Involvement
This one is especially beneficial for children. With school-provided speech therapy, communication with parents is often limited and infrequent. Teachers and providers simply don’t have enough time or resources to engage individually with multiple families each week.
With private speech therapy, it’s much easier to get parents and caregivers involved. Not only can you go over your child’s progress in-depth but you’ll get tips, strategies, and things to work on throughout the week. It also gives parents the ability to speak up if there’s something they’re not sure about, or uncomfortable with.
Not only can this make everyone more comfortable and confident in the therapy, but it’ll be more effective overall.
More Freedom
One of the best things about private speech therapy is that it affords you more freedom. Firstly, the initial process is easier and faster. With schools, there’s often a lot of paperwork, assessments, and referrals involved.
With a private practice, you can get in and have your first session in a much shorter time. The practice has more freedom over what patients they take and how they conduct their sessions.
It also gives you more freedom to choose when and how you or your child is treated. You can opt for once-weekly sessions, or more or less as needed/desired. There’s also more flexibility in both the times and locations you can be seen. You don’t have to rely on the school or work around the availability of a group.
For example, we’ll travel to your home, workplace, or any other location that’s convenient and comfortable for you.
Better and Faster Progress
When you’re able to work with a therapist one-on-one, you’ll not only see more effective treatment but faster progress and results. This is because the entire session is focused on you, every single time. It’s also because your therapist can personalize your treatment – and this also means being able to change the plan as necessary.
As you progress through treatment and start making progress and/or uncovering new issues, your treatment can change to suit. This is rarely, if ever, possible with group therapy. So, while private speech therapy may seem like a bigger investment and more involved process, it pays off in the long run.
Whether it’s school, the workplace, or even social situations, effective communication is crucial. The faster you can make progress, the better it is for your own day-to-day life and your self-esteem and confidence!
More Privacy
Lastly, private speech therapy is just that – much more private. Group therapy sessions mean that everyone else in the group knows what you’re going through and will witness your treatment process.
This may not bother some people, but for others, it’s a big consideration.
Issues of medical privacy aside, many children and adults alike also suffer from anxiety. Even mild anxiety can prevent people from fully engaging in a group setting. By holding back, you can slow or even stunt your progress.
In private sessions, no one is there to witness any of what goes on – unless you agree to someone else being present. You can fully relax and commit yourself to the process with no feelings of self-consciousness or worry of judgment.
Get the Most out of Your Speech Therapy
Whether for yourself or your child, the freedom, privacy, and flexibility of private speech therapy go a long way in making sessions more comfortable and effective. We offer a wide range of services and we’re happy to address any questions or concerns you may have. Don’t hesitate to get in touch today and see if private speech therapy is for you!
