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Learn some facts about speech therapy

  1. A person who depends on someone else for feeding puts them at a higher risk for aspiration.
  2. Speech pathologist have a Master’s or Doctorate degree, a state license and a certification of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association.
  3. Stuttering affects 3 million Americans
  4. We have 26 sets of muscles in use when we swallow.
  5. By 18 months of age, a baby should have a vocabulary of 50-150 words & combine words in speech.
  6. By age of 5, most children make their speech sounds like the adults around them.
  7. Your brain stops growing at age 18 but is not developed until age 25.
  8. Children learn 80% of language by the age of 3. That’s why early intervention is important.
  9. 25-45% of typical developing children demonstrate feeding and swallowing problems.
  10. 94% of children with swallowing problems silently aspirate in trace amounts. (That is because they do not sense when food and liquid goes down wrong.)
  11. Dyspahgia (swallowing disorders) can result in poor nutrition, risk of aspiration, dehydration, decreased enjoyment of eating and drinking, and isolation in social situations.
  12. The earlier a child sees a dentist, the better. It’s recommended that children see a dentist by age 1 or when they get their first tooth. Pediatric dentist are geared towards treating children and educating parents.
  13. Humans swallow one time per minute while awake, about 3 times per hour when asleep and even more when we eat.
  14. Children don’t come with a feeding manual. 25% of picky eaters in typical developing children never grow out of it.
  15. Allergies, smoking, tense muscles, singing, coaching, talking loudly, cheer-leading, drinking caffeine and alcohol are all examples of vocal abuse that can cause vocal nodules.
  16. Everyone’s tongue print in uniquely different.
  17. 1 in 17 people will develop swallowing problems in their lifetime.
  18. Speech is a wonder! To say a phrase, about 100 muscles of the chest, neck, jaw, tongue and lips must collaborate. This takes coordination of many more neurons than necessary for contracting the muscles in an athletes’ foot.
  19. There are feeding difficulties identified in:
    – 61% of infants born at 34 weeks
    – 42% of infants born at 35 weeks
    – 35% of infants born at 36 weeks.
    Infant feeding is a complex process, requiring precise coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing. This aides in mature posture and movement.
  20. The prevalence of pediatric dysphagia is increasing due to increased survival rates of premature babies with low birth weight and complex medical conditions.