SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY: Diagnostic & Intervention Services

Assisting With One Small Miracle Each Day

What is Speech-Language Therapy?

Definition:

Speech therapy is a specialized service that focuses on improving challenges related to speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders.

Benefits:

Speech therapy is beneficial for remediating, developing, and improving critical communication and language skills necessary to complete literacy tasks, engage in social communication, and achieve academic success in children and adolescents.

When to Consider:

Speech therapy should be considered by parents who suspect their child has a communication weakness related to articulation, fluency, cognition, hearing impairment, language (use or understanding), voice, or social skills.

Scope:

Speech therapists work with individuals across the lifespan and are familiar with developmental expectations and potential etiologies of communication disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, neurodevelopment disorders, neonatal problems, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities, cleft lip/palate, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, genetic disorders).

Your Journey: What to Expect, Step by Step

1. Screening:

Speech-language screeners quickly identify areas of weakness that may warrant further evaluation.

2. Diagnostic Assessments:

Evaluations identify speech and language strengths and weaknesses. This typically includes standardized measures, observations, language samples, medical/social/background history, and caregiver, teacher, and parent interviews to diagnose communication disorders.

3. Goal Setting & Planning:

Evaluation results are utilized to create an individualized plan to optimize communication outcomes. This includes setting measurable goals and developing a plan of care (e.g., frequency of services). Goals are client-specific and are created to facilitate social and academic success. These results are shared during a collaborative meeting with the parents and SLP.

4. Intervention & Progress Monitoring:

Intervention takes place when the SLP implements treatment in a one-on-one setting to build and improve deficit skill areas through evidence-based practice. Progress is monitored through data collection to determine therapy outcomes, effectiveness, and dismissal from intervention.

5. Education and Counseling:

Using a collaborative approach, the SLP will provide education, counseling and training on specific speech, language or communication deficits to improve carry over of skills. Members of the team may include other professionals (e.g., Occupational/Physical Therapists, Audiologists, Caregivers, Parents, Teachers).

Comprehensive Intervention Areas

Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation, Phonological, Motor planning and execution)
Receptive Language (Language processing, Auditory comprehension)
Expressive Language (Verbal communication, Written communication)
Social Communication (Pragmatic Language – Paralinguistic communication, Turn taking, Social cues, initiating play, Understanding points of view)
Cognitive Communication (Attention, Working memory, Problem solving, Executive functioning)
Voice & Fluency Disorders (Stuttering, Cluttering, Loudness/pitch)
Early Development (birth to 3) (Prelinguistic communication, Speech and language development, Cognitive communication)
Literacy and Language-based Learning Disorders (Phonology, Reading, Writing, Spelling)
Auditory Rehabilitation (Auditory processing, Speech and language skills impacted by hearing loss)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Tools, pictures, technology, Gestures, expressions)

Our Philosophy

Service Delivery

Services are available in-person or via telehealth.

(954) 577-3396