It occurred to me that many people, including pediatricians have no idea what the heck an SLP does. SO, I am going to blog about it for two reasons. First, KIDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME. Second, so that parents of all children know, when in doubt have your child screened. It’s always, always better to hear “Your little one is right on track” rather than wait, wonder, compare, wait some more and LOSE PRECIOUS TIME. I can’t say this enough.
Pediatricians. I am a fan. Honestly. And I would not presume to know everything that a pediatrician does,knows or treats because it isn’t my field of expertise. Instead, when confronted with something that doesn’t fall under my scope of practice, I research, read, and err on the side of “Let’s see the doc to rule this out”.
It could just be me, but what happens on this side of the fence is that parents come to me much later than they should have because their trusted pediatrician told them that ” I’m sure Noah will develop his first words soon. Let’s wait til his next check up and see where he is.” Or “lot’s of kids are picky eaters, he’ll outgrow it” and there is no oral motor exam done. Doesn’t the doc know what I do?? I’m like the baby whisperer.
People assume an SLP only helps someone talk. Part of the problem, I admit, is our title: SPEECH therapist, SPEECH-LANGUAGE pathologist, and an SLP that is trained in COMMUNICATION disorders. Speaking only of SLPs that specialize in pediatrics, an accurate title would read: SPEECH, LANGUAGE, FEEDING, ORAL-MOTOR, SENSORY, BEHAVIORAL, COMMUNICATION, AAC*, REASEARCHER, DEVELOPER, PATHOLOGIST & THERAPIST. But that would be silly.
*AAC refers to alternative augmentative communication (sign language, dynavox, iPad, etc)
I don’t want to generalize. Often, hospitals have a team of specialists following a child, including SLPs, OTs, PT,s nutrition and pediatricians. It’s a beautiful thing. But what about the majority of children that are home, with no medical diagnosis, no team to report to, that are not severe to profoundly disabled? Once in a while I’ve found a plugged-in pediatrician that had an slp in his network of go-to’s. They are far and few in between. The average doc is swamped in his/her own practice and quite frankly, not trained or not thinking about my area of expertise. That’s not an excuse. I need doctors to be minimally educated in what SLPs do, for children’s sake. I need pediatricians to learn to do a simple OM screen. I need them to know what to do when that quiet little one-year old comes in without first discernible words. I need them to know up to date guideline. What’s with waiting? Did a broken arm get set properly waiting? Was a tumor diagnosed benign waiting?? sigh. Most (if not all) SLPs will screen for free. No harm, no foul.
Now, why did I put Down Syndrome in my title? Originally I was going to blog about the benefits of beginning therapy at birth with feeding and continue through speech. Babies with Down’s have a number of challenges when it comes to oral motor tone and skills for feeding and speech. It’s best to begin working these skills as early as possible for the most optimal outcome. PLEASE, don’t wait. The sooner we start, the farther they will go. And that’s for everyone.
Because They Grow 
I agree about your comments regarding patients with down syndrome. I’m a PT for 0-3 and all my kiddos with down syndrome are barely saying 1-2 words by the time they Turn 3 and are evaluated by the school system which proceeds to only give them 30 min to 1 hour of group speech a week!! The hard part is that the parents have to fight really hard to even get speech started by 18 months when they are already significantly delayed.
Absolutely Natalie- Children with Down’s acquire language later as it is. I could go on and on about this. That’s why starting right after birth, eliminating risks for hearing loss, building those oral motor skills,working on neutral tongue position, and providing the foundations for speech and language are so crucial at that age. Families shouldn’t have to wait or fight for this. and by the time the child reaches school, they are just not able to provide the intensity and frequency needed. Gah!!!! It’s such a frustrating topic for me. And it’s not just kids with Down’s either.