Speech & Language Therapy

What Are Speech Disorders?

• Childhood Apraxia of Speech: For speech to occur, the muscles receive messages from the brain to know how and when to move to make sounds. A child with apraxia of speech might not be able to move their lips or tongue in the right ways, even though their muscles are not weak. Sometimes, the child might not be able to say much at all.
• Dysarthria: We use many muscles to talk. We have muscles in our face, lips, tongue, and throat, as well as muscles that help us breathe. It is harder to talk when these muscles are weak. Brain damage can cause dysarthria, which is characterized by weak muscles. It is a motor speech disorder that can be mild, moderate, or severe.
• Speech Sound Disorders: The inability to say certain speech sounds even when a child is past the age when the sound is typically learned. A child who does not say sounds by the expected ages may have a speech sound disorder. You may hear the terms "articulation disorder" and "phonological disorder" to describe speech sound disorders.
• Stuttering: When the flow of speech is interrupted by unusual stops, partial-word repetitions, or prolonging sounds and syllables. Stuttering also may include tension and negative feelings about talking. It may get in the way of how someone talks to others.
• Resonance or Voice Disorders: The tone, volume, or quality of the voice that distract listeners from what's being said. These types of disorders may also cause pain or discomfort for a child when speaking.

What Are Language Disorders?

• Receptive Disorders are problems with:
  • Understanding or processing language. Understanding what people mean when they use gestures, like shrugging or nodding.
  • Following directions
  • Answering questions
  • Pointing to objects and pictures upon request
  • Knowing how to take turns in conversation
• Expressive Disorders are problems with putting words together into sentences, using gestures, using correct pronouns, like "he" or "they", learning songs and rhymes, having a limited vocabulary, or being unable to use language in a socially appropriate way.
• Cognitive-Communication Disorders are problems with communication skills that involve memory, attention, perception, organization, regulation, and problem solving.
• Learning Disabilities (LD) A child with Learning Disabilities may also have problems with reading, spelling, writing, math, concentration, or social skills. LDs have nothing to do with how smart your child is. Many people with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia also have difficulties with spoken language and/or language comprehension.

We offer a broad range of speech therapy interventions, including:

• Language intervention activities: The SLP will interact with a child by playing and talking, using pictures, books, toys, or ongoing events to stimulate language development. The SLP may model correct vocabulary and grammar and use repetition exercises to build language skills.
• Articulation therapy: Articulation, or sound production exercises involve having the SLP model correct sounds and syllables in words and sentences for a child, often during play activities. The level of play is age-appropriate and related to the child's specific needs. The SLP will show the child how to make certain sounds, such as the "r" sound, and may show the child how to move their mouth and tongue to make specific sounds.
• Oral-motor therapy: The SLP may use a variety of oral exercises — including facial massage and various tongue, lip, and jaw exercises.