How Often Should Speech Therapy Sessions Take Place?

When it comes to speech therapy, the frequency of sessions is an important factor in determining the success of the treatment. Learn how often speech therapy should be performed from an expert's perspective.

How Often Should Speech Therapy Sessions Take Place?

When it comes to speech therapy, the frequency of sessions is an important factor in determining the success of the treatment. Before deciding on how often speech therapy should be performed, it is essential to consider where the sessions usually take place. Private speech therapy offices are often the best choice for children, as they offer a higher rate of progress and allow speech therapists to dedicate more time to treating patients. Additionally, there are programs available that can help parents provide shorter and more frequent sessions for their children.

For instance, the 5-minute program and Speedy Speech program both group words according to their phonemic characteristics, which can help children make faster progress. However, these programs are not intended to replace the work done by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). In a school setting, SLPs typically provide services two or three times a week in removable therapy sessions. During these sessions, they must balance their time between weekly progress evaluations, review of strategies, and actual treatment of many students. Overall, it is essential to consider the individual needs of each child when determining how often speech therapy should be performed.

Private speech therapy offices are often the best option for children, as they provide a better rate of progress and allow speech therapists to devote more time to treating patients. In addition, programs such as 5-minute and Speedy Speech can help parents provide shorter and more frequent sessions for their children.