5 Questions That Predict How Long Your Child Will Need Speech Therapy

Laura Schmidinger
Dec 2
2 min read

"How long will speech therapy actually take?"

This is a question every parent asks. The honest answer is: The duration of speech therapy is as varied as children themselves. Some children attend for only a few weeks, some for six months, and others need support over several years.

Why the difference? Because every child brings their own unique set of circumstances. Here are five key factors that influence the length of your child’s therapy journey.

1. What difficulties is your child dealing with?

The type and extent of the speech and language issues are the most important factors.

It makes a difference whether your child "only" struggles with the "sh" sound or if they also struggle with "k" and "ch." If difficulties with vocabulary or grammar are added to the mix, the time needed will naturally increase. The more complex the issue, the longer the therapy will take.

2. How long have the difficulties existed?

Early intervention is an advantage here, as it is in many areas of development. The sooner speech therapy begins, the easier it is to resolve certain patterns.

We know, however, that the path to getting a prescription and finding a practice often takes months. It is precisely during this waiting time that our app can help you implement initial exercises specifically tailored to your child.

3. How much time do you have to work on content outside of therapy?

One therapy session per week is an important impulse, but it is not a magic cure. What happens between sessions is decisive.

If content is regularly repeated and practiced at home through play, progress can become visible much faster. The therapist provides the "what," and practicing at home provides the consistency to achieve success.

4. How does your child feel about speech therapy?

This is one of the most important factors of all:

Does your child enjoy the therapy?
Are they curious and motivated?
Or do they frequently experience frustration and resistance?

A child who enjoys going to therapy and feels comfortable usually makes faster progress. This is why a good relationship with the therapist is so crucial.

5. Has a long time passed—is a therapy break sensible?

If you feel that:

Little progress is being made.
Your child is becoming increasingly frustrated.

...then talk to your child's therapist about a possible break. Such pauses are often planned, usually after several prescriptions have been used up, and typically last around 3 months. A break can help your child regain motivation and resume therapy with fresh energy.