Speech therapy has resumed at a Utah school, why are some patients still facing COVID-19-related delays?

Salt Lake City—Parents throughout Utah have expressed concern about children’s speech therapy sessions being held due to COVID-19.

Most school districts now have policies in place for returning children to their normal schedules, but not necessarily outside of school.

A pandemic makes speech therapy particularly difficult because patients often have to look at the instructor’s lips to make the proper sound.

“I know COVID is a very serious disease,” said mother Jesse Nelson in West Haven. “Basically, it was said that masks would be held indefinitely until they were released.”

Nelson’s son, Oscar, was three years old and was diagnosed with childhood speech apraxia, a rare neurological disorder requiring treatment.

Oscars are smart, love to play and know basic sign language. He listens to his mom, but it has always been difficult to speak.

“He still has only two or three words,” Nelson said. “Every month there is a difference in my child’s development. It’s not like I put off piano lessons or anything optional.”

Katrina Hahn, a language and language pathologist working at the University of Utah clinic, is an Oscar therapist.

“We need to meet the kids for 30 minutes every day, five days a week,” said Khan. “They have to look at my mouth, and I have to look at their mouth… I couldn’t figure out how to do that job.”

Most schools in Utah do not employ as highly specialized trained language pathologists as Hahn, but many of the exercises between doctors and patients are the same.

Heath Station, Utah COVID-19 School Manual, Ask the school to “provide one-on-one close contact with Plexiglas, face shields, or auxiliary aids to provide equal access to information for students with disabilities.”

Michel Baltasinick was reassured to know that his six-year-old son, Luger, would not have to wear a mask this week if he could resume speech therapy in Toure County School District this week.

Luger’s appointment was canceled towards the beginning of the pandemic, towards the end of last year.

“Some children, like my son, can’t understand with or without a mask,” said Balta Snik. “He was refused because he had not received that speech therapy.”

Baltashinic said he was angry at learning that other speech therapists haven’t resumed interviews yet, but he’s happy that it didn’t affect his children.

“I think it’s stupid they canceled it,” said Balta Snik. “Some people really need help.”

“I think the therapist really wants to see the patient!” Nelson said. “I’m not upset even at the University of Utah. (I) die here Hard Ute… I’m not an anti-mask. I wish I could find some compromise to get the services my child needs. I think.”

Hahn said he cannot install Plexiglas in the University of Utah clinic, which he shares with other health professionals. Instead, she seeks to increase creativity with a special type of clear face shield.

She said the goal is to have stricter safeguards than schools in Utah for high-risk patients who may go to the clinic for other reasons.

A bandana is attached to the face shield to prevent breathing splashes from escaping the bottom.

“I’m really sweating here, but look! You can see my face!” Hahn said he was modeling a face shield. “It’s a little harder to make than I thought, but I think I can!”

Hahn said he was waiting for approval from the University of Utah to make sure his custom face shield was safe before resuming his appointment.

“If I was trying to treat a child and my child became ill because of an infection, that would be the worst thing,” Khan said.

The University of Utah does not provide an estimate of how long the approval process will take.

Hahn understood his parents’ concerns about the planned setback of speech therapy in their children, but despite the delay in treatment, the children were “resilient” and “achieved incredible results. Believe it or not.”