Workstation for Children’s Speech Therapy

A major milestone in the life of a child is their first spoken words – this is one of the first signs of a child’s cognitive development, and it can be of concern if they are not speaking by the time they reach the age of one. Speech delays can be caused by limited spoken vocabulary or oral-motor problems by the child, or can be a result from disorders like autism, or physical impairments like a cleft palate. Speech-language pathologists are the experienced professionals who help those who are experiencing speech delays. Current solutions to this problem involve costly equipment and technology, long sessions with a speech pathologist, or slow progressive techniques like flashcards. Additionally, the speech-language pathologist has to conduct these therapy sessions in unergonomic positions, and require a specialized product solution that can aid them during this process. Improving the development of a child’s speech can help their overall growth, and mitigate future developmental issues down the line. This thesis will document a product solution that would used by the speech-language pathologist and the child to aid in the overall speech therapy process and create a more comfortable working environment for the speech pathologist.