services
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder caused by a disruption in the motor planning and/or programming needed for speech. WIth CAS, the child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has problems coordinating the muscle movements (e.g., lips, tongue, jaw) necessary to do so. Signs and symptoms may include, but are not limited to, difficulty combining sounds, making inconsistent sound errors, understanding language much better than he/she can talk, and/or displaying groping movements of the speech musculature when attempting to produce sounds. Our office uses a holistic approach utilizing oral-motor techniques such as TalkTools and the PROMPT method to obtain oral placement and verbal sound production of words.
Language Delays (Receptive & Expressive)
Language delay is when a child’s language is developing at a slower rate than it should be for his/her chronological age. A child can have a language delay independent of having a speech delay and vice versa. Language delay is commonly divided into two categories (i.e., receptive language delay and expressive language delay). Receptive language refers to one’s ability to understand what is said to him/her. Expressive language refers to one’s ability to use words and sentences to communicate. Both categories of language are essential in order to be able to communicate with others. Early detection and intervention for language delays play an important role in preventing social, cognitive, and emotional problems.
Dysarthria
A motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury (e.g., stroke, head injury, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy) causing weakness, paresis, or paralysis of the speech musculature (e.g., tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw). Signs and symptoms may include, but are not limited to, “slurred/mumbled” speech, decreased/increased speech rate, limited movement of oral musculature, changes in vocal quality (i.e., sounding “stuffy/nasal”), abnormal speech rhythm, hoarseness, breathiness, drooling or poor control of saliva, and/or swallowing difficulty. Therapy programs target strengthening speech musculature and increasing the range of movement, improving breath support, improving articulation, and/or decreasing the overall rate of speech.
Articulation & Phonological Disorders
Many articulation errors are developmental in nature. However, a disorder occurs when a child produces the sound incorrectly (e.g., omission, deletion, substitution) in words. Phonology is the sound system of language and it tell us “how” sounds fit together in words. Children who have phonological disorders have not learned these rules of how sounds fit together, and therefore, speech intelligibility may be affected. Therapy programs target awareness of sounds (auditory bombardment) and the Hodson “cycling” approach targeting specific processes at a time in a systematic manner.
Autism Spectrum Disorder/Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Speech therapy for nonverbal and pre-verbal children targets communication intent by implementing visual systems that support verbal skills, such as using the Picture Exchange communication System. For more verbal children, structured play-based language programs target auditory processing skills, using social exchanges, and answering complex questions.
Central Auditory Processing Disorders
The inability to understand spoken language in a meaningful way in the absence of a hearing loss or understanding of vocabulary, is called a central auditory processing problem. A SLP can evaluate a child’s perception of speech and his/her receptive understanding and expressive language use in these areas. Frank Musiek, audiologist and researcher in this area, has described central auditory processing as, “How well the ear talks to the brain, and how well the brain understands what the ear tells i
Feeding/Swallowing Disorders
Symptoms may include extreme food selectivity, refusal, failure to thrive, oral aversion or reoccurring pneumonia. Anatomic or functional disorders that make feeding difficult or uncomfortable for the child may result in a learned aversion to eating even after the underlying disorder is corrected.
Food chaining© is a therapy program that uses foods as desensitization and/or as therapy tools in treatment (cheriandlaura.blogspot.com/). Techniques from “Food Chaining” as well as TalkTools are utilized in the treatment of feeding disorders.
Social Skill Deficits
Learning and generalizing social skills in small groups is imperative for school-age children. Learning to make eye contact, taking-turns, improving oral-motor and motor planning skills are all benefits of this program. Understanding and reading nonverbal communication and pragmatic skills is also targeted.
Oral-Motor/Feeding Deficits
Oral-Motor deficits may affect speech and feeding skills. Signs of oral-motor deficits include hyper or hyposensitivity to touch. Children may avoid oral activities such as brushing teeth or they may seek oral input by mouthing objects. Therapy programs target improving lips and jaw stability and coordination.
Additional Services for Virtual Voice Speech
TherapyDementia-Related Speech Therapy
Symptoms may include extreme food selectivity, refusal, failure to thrive, oral aversion or reoccurring pneumonia. Anatomic or functional disorders that make feeding difficult or uncomfortable for the child may result in a learned aversion to eating even after the underlying disorder is corrected.
Food chaining© is a therapy program that uses foods as desensitization and/or as therapy tools in treatment (cheriandlaura.blogspot.com/). Techniques from “Food Chaining” as well as TalkTools are utilized in the treatment of feeding disorders.
Parkinson’s Disease Speech Therapy
Specialized for individuals with Parkinson’s, our therapy sessions aim to strengthen vocal power and clarity. Utilizing proven methods like the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Loud approach, we help mitigate the speech and voice changes often experienced by those with Parkinson’s.
Fluency and Stuttering Management
Our Fluency and Stuttering Management services offer techniques and therapies to manage stuttering effectively. We focus on helping clients achieve smoother speech through rhythm training, breathing techniques, and anxiety reduction strategies tailored to each individual’s needs.
Professional Speech Enhancement
Tailored for professionals, our speech enhancement services are designed to refine articulation, presentation skills, and vocal projection. Ideal for public speakers, teachers, and corporate professionals, these sessions empower clients to communicate with confidence and clarity in their workplaces.
Interactive Metronome Therapy
Interactive Metronome Therapy uses a neuro-based assessment and training program aimed at improving cognitive, communicative, and motor skills. By syncing hand and foot exercises to a precise computer-generated tone, we help clients enhance their timing, attention, and focus, which are crucial for effective communication.
