PEDIATRIC SPEECH SERVICES:
Comprehensive evaluation and treatment options are offered in the following areas.
- Articulation Disorders – speech sound disorders and phonological disorders (errors in speech patterns that are not resolved through development).
- Delayed or Impaired Language – delayed comprehension and/or onset of speech, reduction in the use of verbal expression to make wants and needs known, impairments in grammar or meaning.
- Apraxia/motor planning disorder – delayed onset of speech development, reduction of variety of consonant and vowels, difficulty stringing together consonants and vowels, irregular pausing, inconsistent errors, imitation skills may be better than spontaneous output, and possible struggle behavior with oral and/or verbal productions.
- Auditory Processing Disorders – difficulty with processing what one hears (i.e., following directions, sound blending, auditory memory, reading, writing, oral problem solving, rhyming, and understanding in noise).
- Fluency/Stuttering – decreased fluency of speech with irregular pauses and sound, word or phrase repetitions, use of fillers (i.e., “ah,” “um,”), extra body movements when trying to form words.
- Feeding Disorders – can be caused by sensory, motor, or impaired pattern of movement (for example, overstuffing of the mouth, spitting out food, choking or gagging).
- Voice Disorders & Public Speaking – disorders caused from overuse or improper use of voice, illness or hearing impairment that result in changes in pitch, volume and quality of voice. In addition, skills can be taught to become a more confident, easy to be understood speaker.
- Autism & Autism Spectrum Disorders – difficulty with speech, language, pragmatic and sensory motor associated with the disorder.
- Learning Disorders – language, spelling, reading and writing difficulties that accompany the disorder.
ADULT SPEECH SERVICES:
Comprehensive evaluation and treatment options are offered in the following areas.
- Aphasia – receptive or expressive language disorder, apraxia, dysarthria that may have been a result of a neurologic disease or disorder, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.
- Cognitive and Executive Function Disorders – decreased ability to complete higher level thought processes which may include short term memory, reasoning, judgment, multi-tasking, and organization.
- Fluency/Stuttering – disorder of the flow of one’s speech that may be characterized by repetitions or blocking of sounds, words, or phrases, irregular pattern of breathing or pausing, possible physical gestures in coordination of speech production and may manifest in frustration, depression and avoidance behaviors.
- Voice Disorders – disorder of the voice that may include hoarseness, harshness, breathiness, lack of voice, improper pitch or loudness levels, and/or difficulty projecting the voice.
- Eating/Swallowing Disorders – a disorder that may be a result of reduced muscle tone or coordination issues, weakness of the swallowing mechanism or cognitive issues that prevent a safe swallow and may be characterized by coughing, choking, and/or decreased appetite.