Mia is a bright and imaginative girl who loves drawing and playing dress-up. She lives with her parents and younger brother. Mia was referred to daar after her preschool teachers noticed she was struggling to be understood by her peers and was becoming increasingly withdrawn.
Presenting Issues:
- Speech Sound Disorder: Mia had significant difficulty with articulation, particularly with sounds like "k," "g," and "s." She would often substitute sounds (e.g., saying "tat" instead of "cat"), making her speech unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners.
- Social Anxiety: Aware that others couldn't understand her, Mia began to avoid speaking in groups. She would often point or nod instead of using words, leading to isolation on the Playground.
- Frustration: When her parents or teachers asked her to repeat herself, Mia would often shut down, cry, or refuse to speak for the rest of the activity.
The Challenge
Mia’s parents described her as a "chatterbox" at home where they understood her unique "language," but they saw her light dim whenever they left the house.
Impact at Home & School:
- At Preschool: Mia was missing out on critical social development. While other children were negotiating roles in play ("You be the mum, I'll be the baby"), Mia couldn't participate effectively. She was often left playing alone in the corner.
- At Home: The frustration of not being understood was spilling over into behaviour. Mia would have meltdowns before preschool drop-off, clinging to her mother and begging to stay home.
- Future Concerns: With primary school approaching, her parents were terrified that her speech difficulties would lead to bullying or academic struggles, particularly with reading and spelling (phonics).
We were worried therapy would be boring or scary for her. But Mia runs into the daar clinic every week. She thinks she's just playing games, but we hear the difference every day.
daar Therapy Approach
Mia’s family partnered with daar for a comprehensive Pediatric Speech Therapy program. We focused on building her articulation skills while simultaneously boosting her confidence to communicate.
Key Interventions Implemented:
- Articulation Therapy: We used play-based activities to target her specific sound errors. We played "Go Fish" with cards featuring "k" words and used a mirror to show Mia how to position her tongue to make the "g" sound.
- Phonological Awareness: We introduced rhyming games and syllable clapping to help Mia understand the structure of sounds, laying the groundwork for future literacy.
- Confidence Building: We created a "Success Book" where Mia could stick a star every time she tried a new sound, regardless of whether it was perfect. This shifted the focus from "getting it right" to "being brave."
- Social Communication Coaching: In small group sessions, we practiced turn-taking and simple conversation starters. We gave Mia scripts to use when she wasn't understood, like "Let me show you," to reduce her anxiety.
- Home Practice: We gave Mia’s parents simple, fun games to play in the car or at bath time, turning practice into connection rather than a chore.
Results and Progress
The transformation in Mia was not just in her speech, but in her spirit. As her clarity improved, so did her willingness to engage with the world.
Measurable Improvements:
- Speech Intelligibility: Mia’s speech intelligibility to unfamiliar listeners improved from 40% to 85% within 6 months. She can now be easily understood by teachers and peers.
- Sound Mastery: She has mastered the "k" and "g" sounds in conversation and is currently refining her "s" blends.
- Social Participation: Mia now actively initiates play at preschool. Her teacher reports she is often the "director" of the dress-up corner, assigning roles and negotiating plots.
- Anxiety Reduction: The morning drop-off tears have completely stopped. Mia walks into preschool with her head held high, ready to play.
Key Outcomes
Mia’s journey demonstrates the power of pediatric speech therapy to change a child's trajectory.
- Clarity is Confidence: When a child knows they can be understood, they are more likely to speak up and participate.
- Early Intervention Works: Addressing speech sound disorders before school starts sets the foundation for literacy and social success.
- Holistic Growth: Therapy didn't just fix a lisp; it healed Mia’s social anxiety and restored her joy in connection.
Conclusion
Communication is the key to connection. At daar, we believe every child deserves to be heard and understood. Our speech therapy programs are designed to turn frustration into fluency and silence into self-expression.
If you are concerned about your child's speech or social communication, don't wait.
Ready to help your child find their voice?
Contact daar today to book an assessment with our pediatric speech pathologists.