SPEECH LANGUAGE SERVICES
Evaluations
We offer several types of evaluations depending on the nature of the concerns. Our assessments range from short screenings, to determine if a full assessment is appropriate, to comprehensive evaluation in the areas of speech and language, fluency/stuttering, or speech, language, and reading. The appropriate level of evaluation is determined at the time of intake. All families receive an interpretive conference as a part of the assessment package. This assures that parents have the opportunity to not only hear the results of the testing and the recommendations, but to have their questions and concerns addressed. Let us know if we can assist you with one of the following areas:
Speech/Language Screening
Classroom Consultations
Articulation Evaluations
Fluency Evaluations
Comprehensive Speech and Language Evaluations
Comprehensive Reading and Academic Assessment
Therapy Services
We provide one-on-one speech and language therapy for children of all ages.schedule of therapy is determined by a child’s unique needs; however, the majority of children respond well to a schedule of one to two times per week. Sessions range from 30-minute to 60-minute sessions. Our experienced staff enjoys offering the highest quality services for children with:
Developmental Articulation Delays
Many children have difficulty pronouncing the sounds expected for their age. We specialize in treating a variety of speech problems—ranging from correction of a single sound error, such as /s/ or /r/, to those more complicated articulation disorders, such as Childhood Apraxia of Speech. It is our desire to educate parents about what is age-appropriate and involve them in goal-setting and working with their child.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a complicated combination of speech symptoms indicating a child’s difficulty sequencing the movements and sounds to make meaningful words. This particular type of speech disorder should receive specially designed treatment unlike that of more common articulation delays. Children with CAS receive individually-tailored intervention from clinicians with unique experience in this area. Our therapists have specialized training and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of CAS.
Visit this resource for more information about Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Receptive and Expressive Language Delays/Disorders
It is critical for young children to have a strong foundation in language. Not only is it important for academic success but also for navigating through a social world. We consider language therapy a vital and important service we offer to children of all ages. The preschool children we serve gain functional and developmentally-appropriate skills to boost them into their school aged years. Many children enter our door with onlya grunt and leave wishing their therapist a “great day “ and “I love you”. Our older clients will find their grades and academic skills improving as they master higher level language concepts and processing. Whether a child is a “late talker,” having trouble understanding concepts and directions, struggling with grammar and vocabulary, or needing assistance with the social aspects of language, nothing improves self confidence quite like the ability to express oneself well through language.
Language-based Reading, Writing, and Learning Difficulties
Language Disorders of a school-aged child can be difficult to determine. They can manifest themselves in academic struggles. They may mask themselves as inattention, ambiguity or behavior trouble. Some children are referred for testing because they demonstrate one or several of the following indicators of a language disorder, or a language-based learning disability.
General Characteristics of Language Difficulty
Reading and spelling achievement below grade level
Immature speech patterns, difficulty in sentence comprehension and sentence formulation
Difficulty following spoken directions, interpreting and answering questions
Less able to communicate descriptive language information to listeners
Delays in acquisition of the meaning of specific words or relationships among words
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) recognizes Speech/Language Pathologists as specialists to diagnose and treat language-based learning disabilities. This unique category of learning disabilities is described as the following:
Dyslexia is the specific learning problem that involves reading. There are two different kinds of dyslexia, non-language based and language based. The child with dyslexia has trouble almost exclusively with the written (or printed) word. The child who has dyslexia as part of a larger language learning disability (language based dyslexia) has trouble with both the spoken and the written word.
Teachers, parents, or school learning specialists are often the first to notice difficulties. For a child with language-based difficulties, getting help is the key to moving ahead successfully. A language therapist is able to evaluate a child, determine which areas are weak, develop goals based on an individual child’s profile as well as conduct weekly sessions to work on the language, reading and academic areas in question
Stuttering
Many young children experience what is know as “typical disfluency;” however, there are characteristics that can distinguish a “normal” disfluent period from something more concerning. We offer evaluations and treatment for children that involve age-appropriate skill teaching for both the children and their families. For families with very young children going through both typical and atypical disfluencies, we offer one-on-one parent training sessions to provide education and the opportunity to sit with a trained clinician, discuss their concerns and questions, and develop a plan for either monitoring or treating the problem. For those children whose stuttering is more significant, we can provide a direct intervention to help them understand, identify and manage their stuttering.