Speech Therapy for Teenagers – Everything You Need to Know Right Now
Speech therapy for teenagers may involve many different areas of need. However, therapy for this age group may also require a unique approach, different from other ages. Teenagers participate in a completely different social environment and are at a different stage in development.
When you think of speech therapy for teenagers you might wonder about how it may be different and what works best. In this post, we answer some of the most common questions parents have. We also explain how different communication challenges affect what speech therapy looks like for teenagers.
What Does Speech Therapy for Teenagers Look Like?
While speech therapy for teenagers includes many differences, it also includes best practices. Best practices often mean how much treatment is provided, how often it’s provided and what research gets used. Because teenagers practice skills at a different stage in development, therapy looks different.
Their social environment impacts their therapy as well. Teenagers are on their way to becoming adults. For this reason, their input and motivation is critical to their success. The best speech therapy for teenagers happens when feel invested in the sessions.
Also, a successful speech therapy session with a teenager involves including what they enjoy doing in life, as well as their daily activities. In this post we explain many aspects of speech therapy for teenagers and how they can be best supported to fulfill their greatest potential.
What Do Teenagers Work on in Speech Therapy?
Teenagers may work on a number of skills in therapy. Because teenagers care about different topics and activities than at other ages, this may influence what they work on. For example, a teenager with language challenges who plan to attend college may work on goals that relate to written language or understanding what they read.
Other kids may need support with making speech sounds. If a teenager struggles to make speech sounds, it is critical that they get therapy services to correct those errors. Speech sounds get more challenging to fix as kids get older.
Speech therapy for many kids may include practicing skills in a functional context. For kids with language and learning challenges, improvement in their skills often happens through meaningful functional activities. These functional activities may include following directions around the house, brushing their teeth, planning a day with friends, and working on a college essay.
Speech Therapy for Teenagers is Effective
Like therapy with other ages, speech therapy for teenagers is effective. Some parents may wonder if it is ‘too late’ to begin speech and language services. We talk about this more a little later in the post, but the short answer is: ‘It is never too late for speech therapy!’
Whether your teenager gets online speech therapy or visits a clinic in person, they get effective therapy that helps them improve their skills. While some areas may be more challenging to improve as children get older, they continue to make progress in their areas of need. These services get especially important for this age, as kids begin adulthood and engage in more independent activities.
The type of therapy your teenager gets and its effectiveness depend on their individual needs, as well as their motivation. Kids who have a strong reason to participate in therapy greatly benefit from therapy. However, even if your child does not appear motivated, their speech and language therapist can learn their interests and makes therapy a rewarding and engaging experience for them.
Do Teenagers Need More or Less Support?
This important question often gets an answer through a custom evaluation. Teenagers may need more support or less support depending on many different factors. Following a speech and language assessment, your child’s speech therapist shares how much support they need.
Teenagers may need as much or more support as younger kids. We include some of the factors that impact the level of support they may need below.
- Whether they had services before
- The success they had in therapy at a younger age
- How old they are and their areas of need
- The help they get from home
- The support they get at school
Online Speech Therapy for Teenagers
We shared that teenagers may get online speech therapy or in-person therapy. While these both remain effective options, teletherapy may offer more flexibility and ease in getting started. Your teenager may participate in therapy from the comfort and safety of their home.
They also get to improve their skills without getting pulled from their classroom. Teenagers may feel extra wary of starting therapy because of social pressures. Giving them an option to join from their home may boost their motivation by giving them a safe space to practice their skills.
Teenagers also may participate in many other activities outside of school, so online speech therapy can give them more freedom in when they have their sessions.
Social Skills for Teenagers
Speech therapy for teenagers may focus on social skills. Many children succeed in other areas of speech but may continue to struggle socially. This may be especially true for kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Kids with ASD often need support for social skills.
They may need help in:
- Participating in social situations
- Using language socially
- Learning ‘hidden social rules’
- Understanding body language
Social Skills for Teenagers with Autism
What Social Skills Therapy Looks Like
Important to Know
Articulation for Teenagers
Articulation therapy for teenagers usually looks different than it does for younger kids. Older kids may show more awareness of their speech needs. Their motivation to correct their speech errors may also look different than for younger kids.
Articulation therapy for teenagers may be challenging. If your child struggles with making speech sounds as a teenager, they might have tried to fix these sounds in the past without success. They may also never have had speech therapy services. While these sounds get harder to change as kids get older, it is never too late for speech therapy.
In fact, believing that a child is ‘stuck’ with their speech problems, causes more difficulty. Teenagers can improve their speech. With consistent therapy, these older kids get the opportunity to fix their sounds. They may feel motivated to participate in therapy because of their social setting. As they build friendships and relationships, working on their speech may become more important to them.
Language for Teenagers
Language for teenagers looks different than at any other age. These kids often makes longer and more complex sentences. As language gets more complex, kids need different therapy approaches. This age group may get therapy to work on:
- Making longer sentences
- Using subordinate conjunctions
- Understanding the main idea and details
- Expanding vocabulary knowledge
- Forming complex language with AAC
How to Help Your Teenager’s Skills at Home
If your teenager needs support with their speech, language or social skills, speak with their SLP to see what they can practice at home. By speaking with their therapist, you learn about the support they need. You also get news ways to help them at home.
Every child’s needs are different, and so the approach you take will be different. However, older kids who work on language skills often improve these skills by practicing them in functional activities. These functional activities may include homework, employment tasks, chores and more. Speak with your child’s SLP to learn how you might support them during these important activities.
If your child significantly struggles with language as a teenager, you might use therapy strategies to support their skills at home. These strategies might include:
- Modeling sentences
- Expanding on their sentences
- Providing visual supports
- Talking to them with their AAC device
Getting Teenagers Ready for the World with Online Speech Therapy
As teenagers prepare for entering the world as adults, you might wonder about how to best get them ready. Your child’s speech pathologist can help you with this. The recommendations made depend on your child’s needs. However, there are many ways to get kids ready for the world through functional activities.
For example, some teenagers may struggle with working memory, in this case a notebook or smart phone may help them stay organized and remember everything they need. Other older kids may struggle with vocabulary and so naming strategies may prove effective for them.
A licensed speech pathologist provides the support your child needs to get ready. They also help guide you when they give you supports to use at home.
The Importance of Motivation in Speech Therapy
Motivation is critical for teenagers who get speech services. How much progress they make gets affected by how much progress they want to make. Especially true for persons who stutter, their willingness to practice improving their skills plays a big part in their success.
Getting kids interested in bettering their skills often means looking at what matters to them the most. Share your child’s interests and goals with their speech specialist to give them new ways of making therapy exciting and important to your child.
How Can I Get My Teenager Excited about Speech Therapy?
Is It Too Late to Begin Speech Therapy for Teenagers?
It is never too late to begin speech therapy for teenagers. Even if your child has been in therapy for a long time, they can still make progress. Continued, consistent therapy gives them the help they need. As children get older, they develop and their needs change. Quality therapy adapts to this change to meet your child’s needs. Your child may succeed in some areas and meet their goals while needing help in new areas.
By getting kids the therapy they need when they need it, they get the chance to continue building their skills for the future. Language skills build on each other. So the skills they get now, help them with the skills they’ll need later on, especially for school.
How Online Speech Therapy Supports School, College and Work
Online speech therapy for teenagers connects their speech goals to meaningful activities. These activities may include homework, college assignments and job tasks. By making their goals functional, therapists give them a unique context to improve their skills.
Through virtual therapy, kids often get to share homework and other activities right away. They might also get to show their therapist any online homework they may have. This gives their therapist a direct way of helping them practice their goals while doing something they care about.
Many online speech therapists use digital tools to help their clients. For example, they might show a teenager a reading passage on the screen and then highlight, hide or number some of the words. They might also have special programs for them to work on their goals.
This kind of therapy also gives the SLPs a quick and easy way to show educational videos. They might also show your child video models, if they struggle with social skills. Video models are an effective, research based method of improving social awareness.
Get Started with Speech Therapy for Teenagers
If your child struggles to make speech sounds, form sentences, or interact with others, they may need speech and language therapy services. It’s easy to get started with therapy. First, speak with an expert to find out if your child needs therapy and how to schedule a session.
Teenagers can make great progress in therapy and have the unique chance to participate in a way that is meaningful to them. When you are ready to begin services for them, schedule an appointment to get your free consultation, when you can ask a speech pathologist any questions you may have.