Repetition, Repetition, Repetition!

Have you ever had the experience of knowing exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it in your head, but when you go to find the words to express these thoughts it does not come out the way you had intended. A person who is experiencing motor planning difficulties may often encounter a disconnect between what they are trying to say, and what they are able to verbally produce.

If you find that when your child is speaking he or she is finding it difficult to get his or her words out. You may see their mouth moving but no words are coming out. You may also notice that your child says a word, phrase, or sentence one time and may not say it again. Your child may be trying to say something but each time the same word comes out differently. If you notice that your child is experiencing any of these difficulties when speaking, contacting a speech-language pathologist can help your child.

Children that exhibit the above mentioned difficulties benefit from services that focus on providing children with multiple opportunities to practice saying the target words, phrases, or sentences multiple times. The ancient adage if at first you don't succeed, try, try again is applicable to how this type of therapy is structured. In order to improve these skills the client is encouraged to produce several repetitions of the target word, phrase, or sentence. This concept is similar to when someone is trying to increase their physical strength, the person needs to practice the same exercise again and again to build their muscles. This approach helps to improve your child's ability to speak with greater intention and ease.

We have a lot of experience working with children presenting with these difficulties. We hope that you find this blog helpful! To receive more information or to inquire about therapy for your child please contact us!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Joy Hollander-Fink, MA, CCC-SLP and Jill Hollander, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologists