Group Speech Therapy Post CoVID-19 Lockdown

Author : Mahasri Das

Published : 2024, January 23 (6 min read)

2020

A year when people felt like prisoners in their own houses. A period where “circle of friends meetups” was no longer a possibility. A time when many children started to enjoy screen time due to limited options for recreation.

However, what about post-lockdown? While the previously existent friend groups could still meet up, what about the younger populations? What about the toddlers and preschoolers who missed the opportunity to make new friends to talk and play with?

It is generally assumed that the age range of a toddler is between 1-3 years and that of a preschooler between 3-5 years. These two subgroups together encompass that population which falls within the critical period for language development (first 5 years of age).

Any child within these years should have the maximum opportunity to interact, preferably with children of their age range. This not only accelerates their language development but also helps them pick up social skills in a correct sequence. Lastly, it also encourages a child to successfully engage in cooperative play.

So what about the children who didn’t find their friend groups? Is there any solution for their language development? The answer, of course, is ‘speech therapy.’ But will individual therapy sessions suffice, or is a little more boost possible?

The answer to that is group therapy.

So, what is group therapy?

“Group speech therapy is a valuable approach used by speech-language pathologists to work with multiple individuals simultaneously. It can target diverse needs and goals efficiently, often using one activity to address multiple objectives.”

What type of opportunities does it provide?

This approach not only provides an opportunity for individuals to work on their speech and language targets but also encourages interaction and collaboration among participants.

Some major benefits are

1. Promoting social interaction,

2. Fostering peer support

3. Creating a realistic environment for learning new skills and achieving goals, often using one activity to address multiple objectives.

Seeing these benefits, adding in sessions of group speech therapy will help a child to develop language in a more age-appropriate manner.

Final Thoughts

It is quite clear that post-CoVID-19 lockdown, there has, in general, been an overall drop in socialization among children in natural settings. Taking this into account, it is a good idea to “create” a group for socializing, albeit in a formal setting. This will not only help a child to develop both language and socialization skills in a age-appropriate manner, but will also encourage them to socialize even in natural settings.