When a child has cerebral palsy, their coordination and movement do not develop typically. It can make it seem very hard to grow up in an environment that has been built for people who do not have CP. Many aspects of the disorder can prove challenging for a growing and developing child, but fortunately, advances in medicine have managed to find ways to significantly improve quality of life. This article will discuss one specific method for helping kids with CP navigate the world – speech therapy – and the ways it can help the child. Like all therapies, CP can be quite costly. If you are considering speech therapy for your child, speak with an experienced Illinois birth injury attorney to understand what financial assistance might be available to you.
Improved Communication
There are many techniques employed during speech therapy that can help children with CP improve their communication skills. There are exercises aimed at building the muscles in the mouth and throat that are used when speaking. Others focus on practicing manipulating parts of the mouth – including the tongue, lips, and jaw – to move in a way that helps produce clearer sounds. For particularly challenging cases, a speech therapist might recommend the use of a communication device until speech is easier accomplished.