Online Speech Therapy with Speech Buddies

by Jacky G.

Have you ever gotten the feeling that, in order for your child to really listen to you, you’d have to say it with a text message or post it on his Facebook page? Kids these days are constantly buried in their electronic devices. I was once tempted to record a YouTube video to ask my teenage stepson to clean his room. I never actually did it, but it probably would have gotten his attention. The point is, kids love computers and gadgets. So why not move speech therapy into the digital age and try online speech therapy with Speech Buddies University? It’s easy to use, it’ll keep your kidlet engaged in the lesson plan, and (drumroll, please) it’s free!

Take a Tour

Speech Buddies University is the first social network for online speech therapy. It offers multi-level practice opportunities for the specific sounds that your child is working on. Your youngster can do the lessons with or without his Speech Buddy. He can also connect with his speech-language pathologist (SLP) through Speech Buddies University, and receive customized homework and recommendations (more on that below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMLJC9bFygs

Take a tour of Speech Buddies University and become acquainted with its features. The University also offers detailed progress reports. You can view all of the online speech therapy exercises that your child has worked on, both with and without his Speech Buddies. You can also read quick reference guides for the proper positioning of Speech Buddies for the exercises.

Get Started

Okay, let’s get started! Head over to the Speech Buddies University and click on “Sign Up.” Enter some basic information about yourself and your child to register. Then, start doing exercises by selecting the target speech sound, choosing the level of difficulty, and selecting whether your child will do the exercise with or without his Speech Buddy. After your child articulates each sound, record his results by clicking on “Great!” or “Keep Trying!” Have him alternate between doing exercises with the Speech Buddy and without it.

Children who are at least 6 years or older can be trained to use Speech Buddies by themselves, as long as they are under direct supervision. As well, you’ll want to be present as your child uses the University resources so that you can tell the program whether your child pronounced each sound correctly. This allows you to keep better track of your child’s progress.

As you become familiar with the University’s resources for treating articulation disorders, take advantage of your child’s recommended practice schedule. Use the online speech therapy resources for 10 minutes a day, three days per week.

Ask Your Child’s SLP to Sign Up

This interface for online speech therapy not only offers customized exercises, but it also allows for greater interaction between your child and his SLP. Encourage your child’s SLP to sign up for a free account, if she has not yet done so. Everyone from daycare providers to veterinarians are using digital tech in their businesses these days, so there’s a pretty good chance that she’ll be receptive to the idea.

With her account, the SLP can send your child homework and recommended exercises. She can also keep better track of his progress between speech therapy sessions.

Speech Therapy Techniques