Speech-Language Therapy

Speech therapy services include evaluation and treatment of speech, language and swallowing disorders in people of all ages. Speech disorders are characterized by difficulty in producing the sounds of speech and with producing a functional voice or natural rhythm of speech. Language disorders are characterized by difficulty in understanding the meaning of language or with verbalizing words and sentences. Swallowing disorders are characterized by difficulty with chewing, initiating a swallow, choking or aspirating food or liquid into the lungs.

Specialized services include evaluation/therapy of the following:

  • Non-Speaking Individuals
    Therapy includes using objects, pictures, and electronic communication devices to help non-speaking children and adults express daily needs and wants.
  • Swallowing Disorders
    Therapy focuses on instruction in exercises to improve muscle strength and coordination of the lips, tongue and throat, DPNS (Deep Pharyngeal Neuromuscular Stimulation), and compensatory strategies to improve a person’s safety during eating and drinking.
  • Speech Reading/Hearing Impaired
    Therapy includes instruction in total communication strategies including lip-reading to improve communication for the hearing impaired individual.
  • Myofunctional or Tongue Thrust
    Therapy includes training the individual to swallow properly in order to eliminate tongue thrusting against the teeth and to maintain correct positioning of the tongue at rest.
  • Speech-Language Disorders in Young Children
    Therapy for children may address speech sound production skills or how a child understands and uses language. The focus may also concentrate on how smoothly a child speaks or on voice quality. Therapy may also address the way a child interprets and utilizes auditory information.
  • Speech-Language Disorders in Persons
    with Neurological Problems (i.e. stroke)
    Therapy for adults or children may address comprehension of language for daily living and verbal and/or nonverbal expression of basic needs and wants.