Inferencing is often thought of as a “school skill.” But as our occupational & speech therapists in Fort Myers can explain, it’s one that starts to develop long before kindergarten and has far more applications than a language arts class.

In fact, we use inferences so frequently, we often don’t realize we’re even doing it.

Inferencing is a form of logical deduction wherein we make logical guesses about “why” or “how” or “what happens next” – based on available evidence and previous knowledge/experience. It’s more about what is not being said. It’s used all the time – when we’re reading a book (“Is she telling the truth?”), when we’re driving (“what will the guy in the blue Honda do next?”), when we’re talking with a friend (“why do they look so sad?”), or when we’re shopping (“Will Jenny eat these kind of crackers?”).

As pediatric occupational & speech therapists in Fort Myers, we recognize that kids need to be able to u understand the unspoken connection between statements, as well as the meaning behind it all. Children with conditions like autism tend to struggle with “reading between the lines” and understanding concepts beyond what is literal and tangible. By explicitly teaching and reinforcing inference-making in our therapy sessions, we help them with goals like reading comprehension, reading engagement, and overall improved metacognitive thinking.

FOCUS offers pediatric occupational & speech therapy in Fort Myers and throughout Southwest Florida. Call (239) 313.5049 or Contact Us online.

Additional Resources:

Explaining Reading Comprehension in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: The Importance of Elaborative Inferencing, Oct. 26, 2018, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

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Screen Time Speech Delays = Higher Speech Therapy Fort Myers Demand, Aug. 24, 2023, Southwest Florida Speech Therapy Blog