Speech therapy for teenagers involves training that helps them with talking and language to speak more clearly. Often those who have experienced trauma as children or have hearing difficulties will end up with undeveloped communication.

This can also occur when a child doesn’t eat as they should as their mouth movements have not been developed. This can later lead to struggles in school and can sometimes cause a teenager to retreat from others.

Speech therapy for teenagers is a great way help a teen with the shame and embarrassment that can be felt when experiencing speaking difficulties. Training is taught by a language pathologist who is otherwise known as a speech therapist or a language therapist.

Sessions often include exercises and tasks that will help a teenager improve their communication. There are several reasons why impairments can occur, and each person has their own special needs. This is why it is important to seek out the help of a professional.

Licenced therapists are trained in a broad sense so are able to help with a wide variety of scenarios. There are many benefits to be experienced when attending training, and here are some major benefits of speech therapy for teenagers.

Articulation and fluency can improve

One of the many benefits that a teen can experience from therapy is an improvement in articulation and fluency. Articulation refers to the formation of clear and definitive sounds in speech. This means that an “a” will sound like an “a” as well as all other vowels and consonants.

Many teenagers struggle with articulation when they experience hearing difficulties, have English as their second language, or suffer from a stutter. Articulation exercises can be used to make improvements and to see a teen regain their confidence with their speaking.

Fluency refers to how naturally a person can speak a language. This includes not speaking too fast or slow, as well as having the ability to naturally think of what to say. Training with an experienced therapist is a great way to improve a teenager’s fluency.

Stutters can be improved

While stuttering can be quite a common and normal occurrence, many teens are bullied and teased because of it. This can make the stutter become even worse.

Parents often feel lost when it comes to their child stuttering as there is so much conflicting advice out there. Some people advise to ignore a child when they are stuttering while others encourage more love and support.

Some even believe that a stutter can occur due to the overuse of a pacifier or thumb sucking. An easy way to take the confusion out of helping a stuttering teenage is by seeking out the help of a professional.

Voice difficulties can be improved

Teens who experience a raspy or off-pitched voice can often find their voice related difficulties improve when participating in language therapy. Those who experience a voice that is too soft can learn to project their noise better so are able to feel more comfortable in social situations.

This way a teenager can feel more confident when doing speeches or when class presentations arise, all while greatly improving their self-esteem. Many who improve their voice-difficulties find a new confidence in speaking and will often become for talkative and social.

Reading and writing can improve

A fantastic benefit of therapy is that reading and writing can improve. When someone experiencing difficulties begins to wrap their head around a language, their literacy skills tend to improve as well.

This can greatly support a teen in their schooling and with their chosen career down the track. Some even begin to enjoy reading and writing in their spare time rather than resenting literacy tasks.

A great therapist can work with a teen to help them understand reading and writing better as well as working on their dialogue, leaving the teen feeling more at ease with themselves and giving them a sense that they can fit in.

Social communication can improve

One of the most major benefits of therapy is that a teenager’s social communication can improve. Often teens who struggle find themselves pulling away from their peers because they can’t understand them.

They can sometimes struggle to hear the conversation and feel embarrassed that they don’t talk the same way as everyone else. They can miss social cues and can feel different from other teens.

Once training begins, teens can experience improvements and can begin to feel more confident in their social communication. This is especially important when it comes to schooling, to sporting events and family events.

At the end of the day, some regular and small exercises with a specialist can greatly improve the speech of teen. Articulation and fluency, stutters, voice difficulties, reading and writing and social communication can all improve.

Parents often begin to see their teens become more confident, feel more excited about social events and see a boost in their self-esteem once then attend therapy. Finding a therapist can often be one of the best things done for a teen who experiences speech difficulties.