Speakers: Hopi Hall
Helping parents and their children who experience language delays or impairments.
Hopi Hall: Hello, my name is Doctor Hopi Hall. I am a graduate of the Reiss-Davis Graduate School at Vista Del Mar. Parents know instinctively, intuitively, and consciously they have a window to pass down language. So when this doesn't happen or it doesn't happen easily, this can be a cause of great guilt, shame, and concern. What parents may not realize is that apart from finding a speech therapist, a psychotherapist can help, especially if there are emotional or behavioral issues. There are several different roles that a psychotherapist has with a child who has speech delay or language impairment. Uh... One of them is to help a child integrate their emotions, find a way to integrate their inner and outer life. They can help a child feel understood, to communicate and to foster relationships and a sense of self. Even though language is limited, the experience of being without language -- as I've experienced myself -- can feel incredibly isolating, discouraging and frustrating. The second role a therapist can play is to help parents communicate with their child. We are always communicating even if we're not speaking. Lastly, the third role a therapist has is as a team coordinator. So, if there are speech therapists, pediatricians, teachers, parents and others ... they can help have those meetings and talk to the team about the overall development of the child. What I want most for parents to know is that there is help available. Thank you.
