Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a cross between art and science. It addresses a wide scope of problems associated with a range of diagnoses. Speech therapists work with symptoms as seemingly unrelated as a chronic cough, a swallowing problem, an inability to speak or find words following an accident or stroke. Speech therapists work with newborn infants with feeding issues, young adults with head injuries, and octogenarians with strokes or degenerating diseases.

Therapists are most successful when they have time to get to know their clients and often must be creative in their approach when working with them. No matter how creative a speech therapist may get, everything they do is founded in science, an understanding of the brain and typical development.

Kidwinks products are designed specifically for children in the earliest stages of speech and language development. Although they can be fun for children just learning to speak, the impetus for the development of Kidwink's videos is for children who are delayed in speech and language development.

If you suspect that your child is delayed in their speech or language development, it is important that your child be assessed by a professional Speech Language Therapist. To help find a qualified practitioner in your area, go to the American Speech Language Hearing Association's website (www.asha.org) to find a specialist in your area. You may also obtain assistance at your local school system or hospital.

Note from Mary Nel, Kidwinks Speech Therapist:
As a speech therapist, I've observed children entertained by TV programs and video games. While I agree that too much TV is a bad thing, I also understand that busy moms and dads have a lot to accomplish during their day. While the best "babysitter" is someone with time to play with the child, it's not always possible. Even the best parents resort to television as a babysitter.

Kidwink DVDs use basic principles of speech therapy that focus on specific sounds and words to stand out for children who are just beginning to speak. The vocabulary that is chosen are typical words used by most new talkers. Many sentences are limited to one or two words with multiple repetition and simple sound imitation.

Often, parents mistakenly feel this is "talking down" to their child. Research has shown these simple techniques to be very effective in the early stages of the child's speech and language growth. These techniques, combined with a slower rate of speech, a greater variation of inflexion and a variety of facial expressions are called "Motherese." This is the way new parents somewhat automatically speak to their infants. For children struggling with speech and language development, these techniques continue to be helpful.

As your child watches the complete line of Kidwink DVDs, they will see how all of the characters model these techniques from one DVD to the next. Plus, the addition of music makes learning easier and fun.

There are numerous reasons for a child's delayed development. Diagnoses can range from simple speech and language delays, to cerebral palsy, to various syndromes, to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Kidwinks DVDs are appropriate for any of these diagnoses. In spite of all of the information available today, do not self-diagnose your child or treat a delay without a professional's advice. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's development, do not hesitate to ask for a professional assessment. It's always best to know that if there is a problem, you can make the biggest difference by catching it early and quickly.

Order your Kidwinks Speech Therapy Videos today !