By Jody Kerzman
Practice makes perfect, even when it comes to how we speak.
Cindy Neff, Speech Language Pathologist
That’s the motto of Speech Language Pathologist Cindy Neff.
“Producing speech sounds accurately is similar to learning the skills of playing piano, shooting a free throw, or even riding a bike,” explains Cindy. “So saying speech sounds accurately takes a lot of practice, over and over.”
During her half-hour sessions with kids, Cindy emphasizes repetition, having children repeat the correct sounds time and time again. She admits this can get boring for kids, but she says keeping kids motivated is key. Her secret: attaching speech to privileges,like watching television and playing outside.
“It helps to hold kids accountable,” she says. “If there’s nothing at stake, kids often think close enough is good enough. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing more important than the ability to communicate. Kids don’t understand that, but we as adults can show them.”
Cindy is quick to point out that speech therapy must go beyond a 30-minute session once a week.
“One of the major components of successful therapy is parental involvement and reinforcement of the therapy lessons and exercises,” says Cindy. “I urge parents to make on-the-spot corrections and to repeat and reinforce the therapy lessons. It is not just the child in therapy that needs to work in order for therapy to be successful, it also requires the parents to work too.”
Cindy has been working with kids for 24 years at the Scottish Rite Speech Therapy Center in Bismarck. Her students range in age from two to seven years old.
“Lots of kids have speech delays, and we don’t always know what causes that,” says Cindy. “Sometimes there are physical things like, ear problems or tonsils. Many kids don’t have any physical reason for a speech delay. But speech issues affect kids socially and emotionally, and kids and parents can get frustrated if there is a communication issue. I feel so passionately about helping kids communicate better.”
Sometimes it takes years to get a child’s speech on the right track. Other times, it takes only a few months. Cindy says each child is different, which means each therapy session is different too.
If you think your child might need speech therapy, Cindy recommends getting him in for a screening.
“Parents should not wait and hope a child will out-grow a communication problem,” says Cindy. “Early language disorders can create problems with reading, writing, and learning when they get to school. Early detection leads to early treatment and the earlier you get help for your child, the better.”
There are lots of places kids can get speech therapy, including schools, hospitals, and private clinics. The Scottish Rite Speech Therapy Center, where Cindy works, is a bit different than other therapy centers, because services are offered at no cost. The center is a Freemasonry charity. The group’s mission is to diagnose communication challenges of preschool and early elementary children and help them develop speech and language skills. You can learn more about the Scottish Rite Speech Therapy Center at www.scottishritespeech.org.
There are some signs that might signal a child could benefit from speech therapy. They include:
• Babies age 4-7 months that don’t babble
• Makes only a few sounds or gestures, like pointing by 7-12 months old
• Says only a few words by 12-18 months
• Words are not easy to understand at 18 months to two years old
• Has trouble playing and talking with other children by ages 2-3 years
• Speech is unclear, even to familiar people (2-3 years)
Common sounds that are mispronounced include:
- s
- ch
- v
- z
- sh
- k
- r
- j
- g
- l
- f