Speech therapy supports a child's language development
Speech and language therapy offers significant help to children who have difficulties producing or understanding speech or interacting with others. The goal is to make communication easier for the child. Speech therapy can also be helpful with eating-related challenges (e.g., when a child has difficulties eating age-appropriate foods).
Children with an immigrant background in speech therapy
It is not uncommon for children with an immigrant background to be referred to speech therapy. Families have asked for clear, easy-to-understand information about what speech therapy is and how it works. If a parent is concerned about a child's language development in the child’s mother tongue, a referral to a speech therapist is recommended.
It is important to remember that speech therapy is not Finnish or Swedish language instruction. Its purpose is to support the child's language development across all the languages they use and to equip parents to support that development. If a child's speech is unclear or they have difficulty pronouncing Finnish or Swedish sounds, a speech therapist can provide motor speech therapy.
The Mokiva Project improved access to services
Mokiva (short for “Multilingual concept and piloting of online help”) was a project carried out in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. Its aim was to help immigrants navigate the Finnish social and healthcare system and to make it easier to access these services. The project concluded in summer 2025. During the project, we compiled information from our website into overview pages that provide clear, basic information on services such as:
- Services for children and families
- Health stations and dental care
- Services for the elderly
- Services for persons with disabilities
- Adult social services
- Mental health and substance abuse services
The pages were designed with the needs of immigrants in mind. Their content is based on surveys and interviews conducted in cooperation with immigrant organisations.
A speech-therapy explainer video
During the project, we also produced an explainer video on speech therapy for families with immigrant backgrounds. The video covers, among other things:
- What speech therapy is
- How to access speech therapy
- What happens during speech therapy
- How to support your child's speech and language development in everyday life
The same information is available as both text and video. In addition, the Children and families section includes information on maternity and child clinics (neuvola), student welfare services, early support, and child welfare services.
Multilingual content with AI
In total, the Mokiva pages feature 21 videos about different services. These videos are subtitled in the 11 most commonly spoken languages in Western Uusimaa.
Moreover, thanks to an AI-based translation tool, the Wellbeing Services County website can also be read and listened to in the same 11 languages. The tool is available throughout the entire website during a one-year pilot period.
Visit the Mokiva project website: Tietoa sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluista maahanmuuttajille | Länsi-Uudenmaan hyvinvointialue
- Family centre