What is Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy, or speech- language pathology, is a healthcare field focused on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating communication disorders.
These disorders can affect speech production, language understanding and expression, social communication, cognitive functions, and swallowing. Speech therapy aims to improve communication skills and quality of life for individuals of all ages
What we treat
Aphasia
A language disorder that affects how you communicate as a result of damage to the language centers of the brain. Signs of this can be seen as difficulty communicating, understanding language, reading, and writing
Apraxia of Speech
It is a motor speech disorder where the messages that go from your brain to your mouth don’t connect as they should. Signs of this can be seen when a person means to say one thing but says it differently. For example, a person may mean to say “chicken” but it could come out as “kitchen,” “bipem,” or something different. The production might be different every time
Articulation/phonology
Articulation: problems producing speech sounds inwhich sounds may be substituted, added, omitted, or changed.
Phonology: disordered patterns of producing speech sounds in children developing speech
Augmentative/Alternative Communication
The use of techniques and/or devices to communicate (instead of or in addition to speaking), such as sign language, picture boards, or electronic devices.
Cognitive-Communication Disorders
Problems in the ability to attend to or organize information, solve problems, and exert control over cognitive, language, and social skills.
Fluency disorders
Fluency refers to a smooth, continuous rate of speech. A fluency disorder is known when speaking becomes more effortful like with repetitions of sounds/syllables/words/phrases (e.g., b-b-b-baby), holding sounds out for a longer period of time (e.g., sssssssssssometimes), and/or as blocks (e.g., inaudible or silent fixation or inability to initiate sounds).
Voice Quality Issues
This can include, but is not limited to the following: hoarseness, breathiness, strain, vocal tremor, abnormal pitch (too high or too low), reduced volume, vocal breaks, nasality, strangled quality, raspy/harsh voice. This can affect the clarity and ease of communication. It may also make you feel short of breath during conversation which can be addressed during speech therapy visits.
Receptive and expressive language delays
This can seen as a child having difficulty understanding spoken language (receptive) or communicating their own thoughts and ideas verbally (expressive)
Oral/pharyngeal/oropharyngeal phase dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing can be seen as trouble wallowing food, drinks, or saliva. Other signs could be coughing or choking while eating or drinking.
