Does your kid struggle pronouncing certain words? How about expressing themselves verbally?

If so, they’re not alone. About 5 to 8 percent of children have speech and language-related difficulties. The good news is that with consistent speech therapy, your child can improve their skills and gain the confidence they need to communicate better. 

If you’re juggling a busy schedule or wear many hats in your household, then in-home speech therapy sessions may be a great stress-free and affordable option for your child.

In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about how at-home pediatric speech-language pathology works–from what to expect in the first evaluation session to how to find the best in-home speech therapist near you.

What Is Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is an expert who treats speech-related, language-related, and feeding-related disorders and issues, such as:

• Feeding and swallowing issues
• Stuttering
• Articulation difficulties
• Expressive and Receptive language disorders
• Speech and language delays
• Literacy struggles

Pediatric speech-language pathology encompasses children aged 0 to 18 years. Pediatric SLPs are specially trained to work with kids, implementing fun evidence-backed activities into sessions that help children improve upon any speech, language, or feeding issues.

At What Age Should a Child See a Speech Pathologist?

Pediatric SLPs work with children of all ages. From teenagers to babies, it’s never too early to visit an SLP if you notice your kid is experiencing speech, language, or feeding-related difficulties. It’s not uncommon for children as young as 15 months old to attend regular speech therapy.

If your child exhibits any of the following signs, meet with your pediatrician to see if they recommend scheduling an evaluation for your kid:

• Says less than 50 words by age 2
• Speaks with a stutter 
• Pronunciation difficulties
• Has a disorder that makes communication challenging
• Issues socializing with others
• Unable to express their emotions as they age

Can Speech Therapy Be Done At Home?

At-home speech pathology can be an easy and even affordable option for many families. In fact, there are many benefits to having SLP therapy sessions from the comfort of your home–for you and your kid!

Benefits of In-Home Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can have a myriad of benefits. From learning building oral motor skills to swallow better, benefits can vary depending on your child’s specific needs.

In general, here are the main benefits of having an in-home SLP:

• Eliminate drive time and sitting in waiting rooms
• Your child gets to practice in the comfort of their home
• More personalized sessions and materials
• Less stress scheduling getting to and from appointments
• Convenient and easy, allowing you to effortlessly monitor each session
• SLPs can see first-hand your child’s everyday routine and surroundings, allowing them to structure treatment and adjust their environment accordingly 
• Fewer distractions found at clinics (e.g., other children)

Learn more about the benefits of visiting an SLP and how pediatric speech-language pathology can help your kid.

How At-Home Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology Works

At-home or in-home pediatric speech therapy is a common way for children to receive treatment. Therapists will come to your home, bringing any supplies and resources with them they need, and conduct each session from the comfort of your living room or other common space.

In-home care can make some children feel more at ease when sessions are conducted in a familiar and safe space, rather than a sterile, bright fluorescent-lit room of an office, and may even help them be more receptive to treatment. 

Let’s dive deeper into how at-home pediatric speech-language pathology works:

Step 1: Find an Expert Speech Therapist

First things first: you need to find an SLP that’s a great fit for your child. Sometimes finding a trusted specialist can be the hardest part of this process. If searching “in-home speech therapy near me” leaves you with an overwhelming amount of options, it’s time to switch things up. 

Talk with your pediatrician to hear their recommendations for SLPs in your area or click here to easily get matched with a pediatric SLP in no time.

Step 2: Evaluation & Getting to Know Each Other

The first session will serve as a valuable time for the SLP to meet your child and evaluate any issues they may be having. During an in-home evaluation, you will be present the entire time and can describe your child’s medical history, milestones, difficulties they’re experiencing, and their goals. 

Throughout this first session, the SLP will also play fun games with your child–yes, you read that right! 

Play is an effective way for a child to learn to communicate, express themselves, use language and more. In other words, The SLP will use their knowledge to incorporate activities that will seem fun to your kid but are really helping them evaluate for any delays, disorders, or other issues.

Additional assessment exercises an SLP may conduct during the first session could include the following:

• Looking inside the child’s mouth to check for any structural issues
• Asking the child a series of questions to see how they communicate (more common with older kids)
• Standardized tests and informal assessments

The evaluation session can last anywhere from 1 - 3 hours, depending on your kid’s age, language level, and other factors.

Remember: You’re your child’s number one advocate. Don’t hesitate to ask too many questions or ask for additional resources. The SLP is there to help!

Step 3: Create a Plan

After the evaluation, your SLP will discuss their findings and propose a treatment plan for your child. This plan may include:

• Recommended goals
• Estimated duration of treatment
• Frequency of speech therapy sessions (e.g., biweekly, weekly, etc.)
• Other referrals if necessary (e.g., ENT, occupational therapist, etc.)

While having a new game plan is great, be flexible and patient and encourage your child to do the same. Every kid is unique and may take more time to see progress than others, or less time. The important part is that they’re taking a step in the right direction by beginning speech therapy.

Step 4: Treatment

Now, your kid will begin their sessions! Your SLP will work with you to schedule regular at-home sessions depending on your availability. At-home treatment tends to be more flexible for both the patient and provider and is a great option for working parents.

Activities and exercises during an SLP session can vary depending on your child’s diagnosis, their abilities, and their age. 

For younger children, here are some fun and challenging exercises you may see your SLP incorporate:

• Sound and letter games that encourage your kid to identify and produce specific sounds.
• ‘Guess Who?’ Is a fun game SLPs may use to encourage children to learn socialization and identification skills.
• Other ideas that are more likely to occur:
• Singing and rhyming activities 
• Interactive storytelling
• Simon says/following directions activities
• Sensory bins
• Feelings and emotions activities 
• Child-led play to weave speech and language goals into motivating and engaging activities for your specific child

Since sessions are conducted in your home, the SLP can use your child’s toys and other familiar objects during activities to help them apply what they learn to their familiar environment. SLPs may also bring their own supplies based on your child’s specific needs.

Oftentimes, the speech therapist will give you exercises to do with your kid outside of their therapy sessions to encourage more practice and improvement.

Step 5: Progress!

Progress can take time. The important thing is that your child stays consistent with their speech therapy sessions and stays on top of any at-home exercises. The best thing you can do as a parent is remain supportive and encouraging.

Before you know it, you’ll begin to see improvements in your child’s communication skills. While every child is different, you’ll find that your child may need less time to improve in one area, and a little more time to improve in another area. Even small improvements can do wonders for your child’s confidence and self-esteem.  

Is At-Home Pediatric Speech-Pathology Affordable?

One common misconception about at-home speech therapy is that it’s expensive and not realistic for many families. However, this is untrue. While in-home providers are strictly self-pay, there can be various providers that do in-home visits and accept insurance. 

Before starting an at-home session, make sure to ask if the provider takes your insurance, their pricing plan, and any other questions upfront before you commit.

How to Find an In-Home SLP For Your Child

Now that you know how at-home SLP works, it’s time to take the next step and schedule the evaluation session.

Looking for an in-home SLP near you?

At Coral Care, we take the stress out of the search and help match you with a pediatric specialist in your area, and believe that finding the best care for your child should be easy and affordable. Click here to learn how you can get started!