Most people think about speech therapy as simply assisting with the literal act of speaking. While this is the main component of speech therapy, it also has other important aspects to it like language disorders and social skills. Many children are often considered ‘non-verbal.’ These kids can benefit greatly from speech therapy because they still need to be able to effectively communicate and learn the basics of the language to set them up for life. What are the Benefits of Speech Therapy? The goal of speech therapy is to improve skills that will allow your child to communicate more effectively. There are other benefits as well. These can include Improvement in the ability to understand and express thoughts, ideas, and feelings Intelligible speech so your child is understood by others Increased ability to problem-solve in an independent environment Improved swallowing function and safety Achievement of school readiness skills Development of pre-literacy skills Improved vocal quality Fluent speech Development of practical social skills Better quality of life Greater self-esteem Increased independence The ability to express one’s self is paramount. Speech therapy may help your child achieve a greater ability to use and understand language, communicate with others, and express himself or herself to the greatest extent possible. improvement in the ability to understand and express thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Intelligible speech so your child is understood by others. Increased ability to problem-solve in an independent environment. Improved swallowing function and safety. Achievement of school readiness skills.