Speech-Language Therapy
Speech-language therapy is a service that helps individuals increase overall communication skills. When working in pediatrics, speech-language pathologists use their knowledge and expertise to help children with speech, language or both, while participating in developmental activities through play. When a child has trouble understanding what others say, it is a receptive language disorder. When a child has problems sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings, it is an expressive language disorder. When a child has trouble saying sounds, stutters, or has voice problems, it is a speech disorder.
Specializations
Our speech and language pathologists specialize in a wide variety of areas which include, but are not limited to:
early intervention
speech and language disorder
receptive/expressive language disorder
auditory processing disorder
language processing disorder
articulation/phonological disorder
social communication/pragmatic disorder
fluency/stuttering
apraxia
assistive technology (low and high tech)
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
What does Speech-Language services look like?
Evaluation
Prior to an evaluation, parent’s complete a child intake form and developmental history form for the therapist to review. Upon completion of these forms, an in-home evaluation is scheduled with a licensed therapist. This evaluation may include parent interviews, informal observations, and formal assessments. The evaluation can take anywhere between 1-1.5 hours. Therapists will work through assessment activities with your child, wherever your child is most comfortable. Once the evaluation is complete, the therapist will take 1-2 weeks to write a summary report that includes the findings and recommendations. This report determines the frequency of appointments and the goals for ongoing therapy sessions.
Sessions
Speech Therapy sessions are 1-on-1 and take place in the child’s home. Parents or caregivers are expected to be present for the session. Throughout the session, the therapist monitors your child’s progress on their current goals. As goals are mastered, the treatment sessions incorporate additional goals from the evaluation. When each session concludes, therapists provide feedback and recommendations to parents or caregivers to continue working towards specific skills.
Achieving Outcomes
Our therapists use data to measure the rate of progress on a child’s speech therapy goals. Performance is noted after each session. Senior therapists oversee treatment plans and observe sessions to make sure children are making progress. Whenever goals are met, therapists will refer back to the evaluation to incorporate new goals. We will perform re-evaluations as needed to measure the child’s progress since beginning services.
