When Speech Therapy Causes Pain: Making Speech Therapy a Positive Experience

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Forbrain. However, all opinions, thoughts and ideas are my own.

Have you ever been made fun of because of something you said, or maybe it was because of how you said something? It is a horrific feeling. When someone makes fun of you because of your speech, you will become a reluctant talker. So if you already have a problem, not speaking only causes more problems. And when speech therapy causes additional pain, you may spend a lifetime avoiding that source of discomfort.

I grew up with a pretty bad lisp. It made me not want to talk in public. But what was even worse was when I started speech therapy at age 5. I had to leave school one day a week for a couple of years. Everyone in class knew where I was going. At that time, there was not a special teacher that came to the school. I had to be picked up by my mother and taken to a speech therapy center.

And then the torture began. The sessions were awful. I detested going, and after two years, I had not made any progress. The “experts” convinced my mother that I just wasn’t practicing the exercises they gave me.

How a Speech Impediment Limited My Life

For years, I had a lisp that limited how I viewed myself. It impacted every area of my life. From reading out loud in a classroom setting to talking to new people who didn’t know about my lisp, I limited myself because I was unsure of how people would respond to me. Additionally, I was sure that I was the only person with this type of problem. It was very isolating to grow up feeling like I was the only one with a speech problem. It has only been in my adult years that I have become more comfortable talking in front of people I don’t know.

I knew I would not let any of my children undergo anything similar, and I was a mama bear when it came to doctor’s appointments or therapy of any sort. I tried to fiercely protect my children.

Speech Therapy for My Son

When the time came for my son Jack-Jack to have speech therapy, I refused to allow him to experience the same things I had. I know not every speech therapist would be like the one I had. I reluctantly agreed to have Jack-Jack undergo speech therapy.

After attending 10 sessions (where I made sure to stay in the room the entire time), I realized they were not helping him. He had not made any gains, and he often looked at the speech pathologist with a look that said, “You are crazy.”

I decided to stop speech therapy and use a gentle approach at home. His speech has grown leaps and bounds, but there are still phrases or words that he mispronounces. In fact, his TH was usually said as an “F.”

When trying to help children learn, it is important to remember that there are some important factors to take into consideration. No two children are alike, but there are universal truths to teach.

How Children Learn Best

When teaching children, whether you are teaching math, how to read, or speech therapy, there are important factors. Children learn best in the following environments:

Where they feel safe and secure

With people who listen to them and hear their hearts

When they are well-rested and not hungry

In environments where they are free to ask questions

When they are given encouragement and not belittled

When they are free to make mistakes without embarrassment

With people that show love

Sometimes It’s Mom That Needs to Learn

I was actually considering finding an online program or someone to come into the house to work with my son when I was contacted by a company to preview their product. I honestly ignored their request. You see, their product seemed too easy.

Yes, you read that right. I didn’t think that anything could be that easy. My limited thinking, based on my childhood experience, had me convinced that to correct his speech, we would need to devote months of costly speech therapy before we saw results.

When I eventually agreed to try out this product, I was riddled with skepticism. How could a simple device change the course of one person’s life? It seemed too easy.

Again my limiting beliefs were affecting my ability to see past my experiences.

Our At-Home Speech Therapy

When this device arrived at my home, I was instructed to try it for 6 weeks, 10-15 minutes a day. Since Jack-Jack is a struggling reader, I decided to work for 12 minutes a day.

Well, folks, after one day, ONLY ONE DAY, Jack-Jack began saying his TH’s correctly. This is nothing short of a miracle! I could not have hoped for results like this.

After several weeks, Jack-Jack’s reading skill has improved. So, I know you are anxious to find out what this device is that has literally impacted our son’s life in such a positive way.

Forbrain looks like a headset, but it doesn’t have earbuds. Instead, the earphones sit on the bone in front of the ears. There is also an additional pad that sits on the bone behind one ear. As you talk into the microphone, you hear your voice as it really sounds.

Forbrain works simultaneously on all aspects of the audio-vocal loop and helps improve speech, memory, and attention. This device also helps with auditory processing and sensory integration.

So what have I learned from using Forbrain?

Don’t judge a product through your cloudy lenses
The right product can save you time, money and heartache.
God’s timing is perfect and resulted in a pain-free speech therapy experience for my son.
Today is the right time to try Forbrain.

How to Get a Forbrain For Yourself

Because Forbrain is a product I believe in so much, I signed up for their affiliate program. Purchasing this product with my affiliate code 3A6903834 will get you an additional 10% off.

Do you have a painful therapy story? Drop a line and let me know below.