When it comes to participating in the rehabilitation of learning disorders (dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD…), what is the most appropriate terminology to frame the speech therapist’s intervention: are we talking about speech therapy classes or speech therapy sessions? While these terms may seem similar, or even synonymous, they imply very different approaches…
A speech therapy course, akin to tutoring
The use of the terminology “speech therapy course” can only be considered in the context of a tutoring course .
tutoring
. The latter consists in reviewing what has already been presented in class, in order to complete the learning process with data that the child has not assimilated.
Lasting up to an hour, this course is designed to review the concepts studied: the teacher repeats the lesson, offering a different explanation so that the student can retain it. What’s more, this tutoring is provided by an educational professional, unlike a speech therapy session, which is conducted by a paramedical professional registered with the Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS).
A speech therapy session, akin to re-education
In the context of rehabilitation for learning disabilities, it is strongly recommended to use the term “speech therapy session”. Lasting from 30 to 45 minutes, it takes into account the patient’s fatigue: in this setting, the professional doesn’t offer a second presentation of the lessons, but concentrates on a cognitive difficulty that he has identified in his assessment. This work is more demanding for the child, who reaches saturation point more quickly.
Durable DYS disorders require the child to develop compensatory tools to overcome his or her difficulties – whether they be slow reading, an unstable logical seriation structure, a weak lexical stock, etc. – in order to develop the necessary skills. During a speech therapy session, the child performs playful exercises to learn to master them. To do this, he can also rely on specialized equipment designed specifically for DYS children.
Speech therapy classes or sessions?
If your child is falling behind at school, we invite you to contact your GP. If necessary, he or she will refer you to a speech therapist for a check-up to identify any difficulties. At this stage, the professional can also determine whether the child has a learning disability or is simply delayed. From then on, he will have to attend either tutoring classes or speech therapy sessions.
It should be noted that these sessions can be supplemented by the intervention of other professionals, depending on the child’s needs, such as a graphotherapist in the case of dysgraphia, or an occupational therapist in the case of dyspraxia.
If necessary, don’ t hesitate to consult the Ora-Visio platform, which brings together professionals specializing in the management of DYS disorders: offering remote consultations, they are available at any time to answer your questions!
