No single solution exists when it comes to speech therapy; however, applying motor learning principles and attending frequent sessions with an organized practice schedule at home will speed your progress up considerably.
Studies show that factors like severity of disorder, age and frequency of sessions all impact how quickly speech and language therapy produces results.
What is the “One-Size-Fits-All” Recommendation?
Speech therapy treatment approaches vary significantly and each individual will experience unique outcomes during therapy sessions. Because of this, there is no universal recommendation regarding how frequently a person should attend therapy to reach their speech and language goals.
Research supports that at a minimum two sessions are recommended per week. Your speech therapist will determine this optimal frequency based on clinical judgement based on your child’s specific needs, age and temperament.
If your child is having difficulty producing sounds clearly, their speech-language pathologist may recommend intensive articulation therapy. This involves daily articulation practice in a structured yet encouraging environment with the aim of increasing sound production over a two to three week period. Children diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech can benefit from additional receptive and expressive language skill training through play-based activities.
Children with cluttering or stuttering may benefit from an intensive, short-term program consisting of four weekly therapy sessions for three weeks. Such programs can help to reduce symptoms while supporting the generalization of new articulation and fluency skills across various communication environments and contexts.
Speech therapy sessions to address pragmatic disorders, such as not understanding sarcasm or eye contact, or difficulty with social communication can vary in duration and scope depending on each individual case. A speech-language pathologist typically works closely with their clients to set specific, measurable, action-oriented and relevant (SMART) goals to guide treatment duration and guide outcomes of therapy.
Children may use SMART goals set by their school as their basis, while adults may set them according to professional or personal interests. When setting goals with your speech-language pathologist, it’s also essential that they create an established schedule for therapy sessions to achieve optimal results from your treatment.
As mentioned above, consistent attendance will allow your child to quickly develop new skills and progress toward his or her speech and communication goals. For those living outside of a speech-language pathologist’s area, online speech therapy offers an efficient alternative – at-home online speech therapy is quick and painless, only requiring reliable internet connection and distraction-free surroundings for success.
How Often Should I Attend Therapy?
The frequency and duration of therapy sessions will be decided by their clinician, usually taking into account various factors such as diagnosis, age, severity and goals. Regular attendance provides continuity and supports ongoing progress with speech and language skills.
Children or adults attending therapy more regularly will tend to reach their goals faster. Children diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech typically need more frequent treatments due to its complex motor patterns associated with producing intelligible speech.
Though attending regular speech therapy sessions may seem obvious, it can be challenging for many individuals – particularly children – to stay still for 60 minutes of speech or language therapy each week. Much like practicing baseball or music instruments: practicing once every few weeks will take longer for you to master it; thus it is advisable that weekly speech therapy sessions should be scheduled with your clinician as necessary.
As your speech-language pathologist (SLP) sees you making progress, they may increase the frequency of sessions to capitalize on and sustain momentum. Once you demonstrate mastery of targeted speech/language skills, they may reduce session frequency while encouraging home practice for further communication skills development.
Research remains inconclusive regarding the optimal frequency and intensity of treatment for adults suffering a stroke or TBI; likely due to numerous co-morbidities within this population that must be considered when making decisions regarding therapy for these individuals. Yet evidence supports early and intensive therapies as being beneficial.
No matter their diagnosis, therapy participants need to commit themselves to attend regularly. A strong and dedicated individual who makes this a priority will see better results faster while potentially saving money in the process.
How Long Should Each Session Last?
To meet goals in speech therapy, it’s crucial that sessions be attended regularly. As soon as skills have been mastered and you are ready for new ones, your results should start coming faster – leading to faster progress toward meeting speech therapy goals sooner!
Duration of therapy will depend on the nature and severity of your problem, for instance: children suffering from severe cases of articulation disorder with accompanying stuttering will require more intense intervention than those experiencing mild apraxia with minimal stuttering. Furthermore, duration will also depend on how far along an issue has progressed since initial injury or onset.
Like going to a gym, practicing speech therapy techniques regularly is key to seeing results. Whether it be addressing apraxia, stuttering, communication disorders caused by stroke or TBI; consistency is the key. Going once per week but missing sessions lowers your odds of becoming an IronMan!
As a busy parent or caregiver, finding time for in-person therapy sessions with your child or loved one may be challenging. Online speech therapy offers an effective solution with its flexible scheduling system enabling sessions to fit seamlessly into everyday life and meeting the recommended frequency of therapy to reach communication goals more easily.
If you are considering online speech therapy for yourself or a loved one, take the first step by scheduling a free introductory call with one of our Speech-Language Pathologists. We can discuss your specific needs and concerns, then recommend an effective treatment approach that may help reach their speech therapy goals more quickly. Our team has extensive experience treating both children and adults suffering from various communication disorders while at the same time engaging in continuing professional development to stay current with current research approaches and best practices.
How Long Should I Practice at Home?
Home practice of target sounds or words will allow a client to make progress faster and be ready to graduate sooner from speech therapy. Plus, being comfortable practicing at home makes the experience less intimidating and relaxing – encouraging greater risk taking as they try out techniques which may initially feel awkward or challenging.
As well as practicing at home, speech therapy can easily become part of everyday routines for clients in many ways. This may mean repeating target sounds during conversations or using a recording device to record and listen back to progress made on speech therapy exercises. Children can incorporate target sounds into play activities for extra practice – for instance playing “house” or pretending to shop can provide opportunities to develop articulation and expressive language skills, while saying target words out loud during favorite board or card games is another fun way.
Consistency is key when it comes to speech therapy, and for that reason it is recommended that an individual practice their target sounds and syllables at the same time each day in order to create an organized schedule for their exercises. A speech-language pathologist can assist an individual in creating a routine tailored specifically to their schedule and needs.
As with any practice plan, when determining how long someone needs to practice at home it is essential that one takes into account both the severity of their speech disorder and length of time they have attended therapy sessions. Some children may see results within weeks or months while others require longer-term approaches in order to reach their goals.
Note that changing one’s speech patterns is no simple endeavor and may take time and patience for full success. Unlearning an unwanted or learned pattern requires much like any new skill; patience and consistency will be essential if success is to be attained.