Speech therapy for children
- Service
- 7 municipalities
- Public service
Speech therapy is a medical rehabilitation provided by a licensed speech therapist. It includes studies and treatment of language, speech, communication, voice, and eating difficulties. The work also includes preventive information sharing on the child's linguistic development, guidance and education.
Speech therapy is implemented as individual or group therapy, and it involves cooperation with t ...
Do the following
If you are concerned about your child's eating or speech and language development, contact your child health clinic or school nurse. You will receive a referral for speech therapy from a nurse or doctor.
To whom and on what terms
Your child is entitled to speech therapy if
- the child has difficulty eating
- speech and language development has progressed slowly or abnormally
- the child stutters, i.e., the rhythm of the speech is non fluent
- the child speaks selectively – only in certain places and for certain people or
- a school-age child has dyslexia.
Background information
Speech therapy is intended for children, young people and adults who have disorders related to producing and/or understanding speech, voice disorders or difficulties with swallowing. Speech therapy is a form of medical rehabilitation that includes examinations. The purpose of the therapy is to help the patient communicate and manage independently and without difficulties in their everyday life. Periods of speech therapy are provided as individual and/or group therapy.
The patient may be instructed in the use of assistive devices, including speech-generating devices, as part of the therapy. Children and young people are usually referred to speech therapy by the child welfare clinic or school health care services, whereas adults may be referred to the therapy by a doctor or a nurse.