With many researchers documenting the risk of poor self-esteem and social interaction in kids with speech and communication difficulty, parents often wonder what they can do to help their child’s confidence and social skills.
Self-esteem issues arising from speech difficulty may look different at different ages
First of all, speech and language development is a process with a wide range of what’s considered 'normal.' For many toddlers and preschool aged kids, their entire peer group is still in the developmental stage of learning speech and language. Plus, kids younger than 6 or 7 typically aren’t at a social development age where they think to compare themselves to others. As a result, you typically don’t have to worry about low self-esteem in very young kids.
Self-esteem issues among kids with speech difficulty may be situational
Recent research highlights that kids with speech difficulty who have self-esteem issues may have very specific communication concerns. In fact, it may be the case that the self-esteem concerns related to speech difficulty are only experienced in certain speaking situations, like talking to strangers or talking at school, but not when communicating with close friends or family.
Be aware of negative portrayals of speech difficulty or disabilities in the media
Even with the push for more accountability for diversity and representation of individuals with disabilities, it’s important to be mindful that individuals with speech difficulty are not always presented in a positive light in media depictions.
Practice empathy for your child or loved one’s perspective
I’ve had many conversations with teenagers who have come to accept their speech sound differences as being a part of their identity. While we can improve a developmental speech sound disorder at any stage of life, it’s important to be respectful of the unique experiences that each child has had as an individual with persistent speech difficulty.
Speech therapy can help boost self-esteem by giving kids a safe place to practice
In over a decade working as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I’ve seen how quickly kids begin to learn what’s hard for them to do. And, it’s human nature to shy away from tasks that feel challenging.
Kids with speech difficulty are kids first—and some kids may need help with self-esteem
Finally, it’s important to remember that mental health should be a priority in all of our lives, and that includes kids and adults who have speech difficulty.
Conclusion
Have questions about how to best help your child with speech difficulty improve their speech skills to grow into a confident communicator? Head over to our Articulation Therapy page to read about how Verboso works for treatment of speech sound disorders, or check out our Therapy Services page to read more about our solutions for speech therapy.