When and where there’s any given individual or group of individuals offering speech therapy services, it’s natural to assume they’re all as good as each other. In order to be practicing in the first place they need to be qualified, licensed and generally successful enough to stay in business, which can lead to the conclusion that there’s really nothing between them quality-wise.
In reality however this doesn’t tend to be the case at all as while the vast majority of professionals currently in business today are wholly capable and above board, there will always be those that don’t measure up to the mark. And at the same time there will be those that excel in every area of childhood speech development, which is why for the sake of your child and your own peace of mind, it’s worth investing a little time and effort in the selection process. As is the case across every area of the healthcare industry across the board, being able to do something doesn’t automatically make you the very best at doing it – there’s a little more to look into before being able to make the very best choice possible.
Qualification Strength
One example to illustrate the point is the way in which there’s a very big and important difference between a person working as a speech therapist and a person with quite simply the most elite-level qualifications and academic achievements in the book. It’s impossible to get in the industry legitimately without having studied to a certain level, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t such a thing as going the extra mile and taking your studies to the next level and beyond. As such, it’s always a good idea to look into the subject of qualifications as something that’s far more than just a box to be ticked, as where they studied in the past and to what level could have a marked effect on their performance.
Experience in Practice
Another matter to be very much aware of is the way in which academic achievements do indeed count for a lot, but at the same time are far from the be all and end all of things. The reason being that it’s one thing to study a subject to a high enough level to be able to pass exams, but it’s another thing entirely to know how to put this kind of education into use in the real world. Suffice to say, this comes easier to some than to others which in turn translates to speech therapists with different levels of strength.
And then of course there’s the way in which longer-term experience in practice makes for a wholly better therapist as it’s only by practicing and honing these kinds of skills over the course of time that true competence and excellence can be achieved.
Past Successes
Also in the same vein as experience comes proof of success, which should be very much evident in the case of any speech therapist that’s been doing a great job for years. In instances where a therapist manages to tackle a child’s problem and genuinely contribute toward their healthy development, it’s largely inevitable that the parents of the child will want to thank and congratulate the therapist in one way or another. And more often than not, this is the kind of information that will be shared and boasted by the proud therapist.
Whether it’s a case of listing successful case studies and stories via their website or perhaps just a simple archive of feedback from those that have been supremely happy with their services, chances are you won’t have to hunt far and wide to find evidence of their performance when put into practice. By contrast, should there be no such success stories to be found or should you find it difficult to come by any real feedback, this could be a sign to consider looking elsewhere.
Compatibility
And finally, it’s important to make sure you never overlook the importance of making sure you choose a therapist that’s a perfect ‘fit’ for the family in general. The reason being that every professional you come across will have a slightly different approach to speech therapy and a wholly unique personality all of their own. It’s simply impossible to put your full faith and trust in anyone you aren’t compatible with and this can lead to a situation where making any real progress is difficult to say the least.
