Speech & Language Therapy
Speaking of Speech specializes in, but is not limited to treating the following areas:
Speech Sound Disorders · Receptive and Expressive Language Disorders · Autism Spectrum Disorders · Fluency/Stuttering · Alternative/Augmentative Communication Devices · School-Based Issues · In-home Consultations
Speech Sound Disorders
As children learn to speak, it is common for them to produce sounds incorrectly. As they age, it is typical for these sounds to begin to sound more like adult-like speech, but sometimes they don't correct on their own and your child's speech starts to sound different from his or her peers. You may notice that other people in your family and also strangers have difficulty understanding your child's speech.
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Working with Speaking of Speech will help you determine if your child has a speech sound disorder and what the best treatment method is. These are often able to be corrected with a rigorous plan in place.
Receptive & Expressive Language Disorders
Language disorders can be separated into Receptive Language Disorders and Expressive Language Disorders. If your child has difficulty understanding what people are saying, following directions, answering questions, pointing to objects and pictures, or knowing how to take turns, he or she may have a receptive language disorder.
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If your child has difficulty asking questions, naming objects, putting words together into sentences, using correct pronouns (he, she, they, I, etc.), understanding and participating in conversations, or adapting how they speak in different situations, he or she may have an Expressive Language Disorder.
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It is not uncommon for children to have both Receptive and Expressive Language disorders at the same time. Speaking of Speech can evaluate your child's language abilities and work with you to help increase his or her language development.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex diagnosis that a physician and a team of professionals work together to diagnose. This diagnosis is characterized by difficulties in understanding and using language skills to build relationships with others effectively. There are many red flags a physician or a speech-language pathologist looks for when determining if a child is at risk for a diagnosis of ASD. These include late talking, limited or no use of gestures (pointing, head nods/shakes), pulling you to items wanted, lack of joint attention (he or she attending/looking at an item you call his or her attention to), limited eye contact, and difficulty dealing with changes in his or her schedule.
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At Speaking of Speech, a treatment plan will be put into action to help you learn along with your child how to help him or her grow into an effective communicator and build relationships with others. Speaking of Speech has therapists with advanced certifications (e.g., Certified Autism Specialists). They will work with you to help implement a plan to help your family grow together in communication.
Stuttering/Fluency
Stuttering, the most common fluency disorder, generally is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by repetitions (sounds, syllables, words, phrases), sound prolongations, blocks, interjections, and revisions, which may affect the rate and rhythm of speech. These dysfluencies may be accompanied by physical tension, negative reactions, secondary behaviors, and avoidance of sounds, words, or speaking situations (ASHA, 1993; Yaruss, 1998; Yaruss, 2004). Cluttering, another fluency disorder, is characterized by perceived rapid and/or irregular speech rate, which results in breakdowns in speech clarity and/or fluency (St. Louis & Schulte, 2001).
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At Speaking of Speech, our clinicians will work with you to assess your child's speech abilities, determine if a fluency disorder is present, and then work with you to develop a treatment plan to help your child be the best communicator possible.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
We offer AAC evaluations to acquire devices and provide therapy and caregiver training for individuals who have complex communication needs.
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Those with significant speech or language disorders may require alternate ways of communicating. These systems can be as simple and intuitive as using a notebook to communicate, as quick as pulling out a small picture or symbol to indicate a need, or as comprehensive as a communication device with voice output capabilities. A person with communication needs may use AAC to support their existing communication, or they may need AAC for all of their communication needs.
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There are many types of augmentative and alternative communication systems, and our Speech Pathologists can help develop systems to help your child be the best communicator possible.
School-Based Issues
School-based Speech Therapy services can be difficult to understand. Sometimes a child may not qualify for school-based speech therapy, but you may feel like your child still needs services. Maybe your child qualifies, but you would like to pursue additional services to supplement those provided at school. Alternatively, some parents choose not to pursue school-based services so that their child is not pulled from his or her classroom, because they don't want their child to lose classroom instruction time. Maybe you would like your child to receive direct, one-on-one intervention with a Speech Pathologist. Let our therapists at Speaking of Speech fill in those gaps and give your child the support they need.
In-Home Consultations
Whether you need help setting up routines, have difficulty with certain transitions, or are in need of visual supports in your home, contact us for help. We can help with these areas — plus many more!
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Our in-home consultations are invaluable for children who have communication needs. Whether it's setting up alternative communication systems such as PECS, helping with visual supports for those who have difficulty with transitions, or helping guide you in how to facilitate tricky transitions, we are here to help! Often, children with communication disorders have a need for other support services in their homes, and with our in-home consultations, we can fulfill that need for you.
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Our therapists at Speaking of Speech have been helping families achieve communication success in their homes. Please let us know how we can help you!
