Speech-Language Therapy
Speech-Language Therapy
Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy helps facilitate increased independence and participation in daily activities by addressing delays in speech articulation, expressive and receptive language, social communication, oral motor skills, feeding/swallowing, and auditory processing and comprehension. Our Speech-Language Pathologists work closely with families and other professionals to assist with improving skills in the clinic setting as well as in the home, school, and community.
Development
Speech and language development begins even before a child starts talking. Children begin to communicate by smiling, attending to other people, making sounds, and using gestures. These skills eventually lead to more mature speech and language. Each milestone for how a child speaks (makes sounds) and communicates (language) has its own range for what’s considered “typical” development. For more information on speech/language milestones by age, please click on the Developmental Milestones link.
Articulation
Articulation is a speech sound disorder. Your child may have trouble making sounds, making it difficult to understand them. He or she may substitute another sound, leave sounds out, add sounds, or change the sound.
Common Diagnoses:
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Tongue Thrust
Common Treatment Approaches:
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Beckman Oral Motor Therapy
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Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol
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Myofunctional Therapy
Play & Socialization
Play is an important part of a young child’s day to day life. Speech-Language Pathologists will often use play as a therapy tool, both individually and in a group setting. Our social play groups help to address a variety of play skills, including social communication, eye-contact, requesting, sharing, turn-taking, and following directions. Click on the Social Groups link for more information.
Social Communication
Social communication is the use of language in social situations. It involves turn taking in conversation, maintaining topics, social greetings, use of eye contact, tone of voice, and reading facial cues/expressions and responding appropriately. Difficulties with social communication may affect a child’s participation in a social setting or ability to make friends.
Feeding & Swallowing
Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia, can lead to dehydration, poor nutrition, aspiration, or even pneumonia. Children with feeding and swallowing problems may demonstrate a wide variety of symptoms, including arching back or tensing up during feedings, refusing to eat/drink, difficulty chewing, coughing or gagging during meals, excessive drooling while eating, pocketing food (storing in cheeks/refusing to swallow), frequently getting sick, and poor weight gain; however, not all symptoms are present in every child.
