Speech Therapy

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The Growth Opportunity Center provides speech and language therapy for both children and adults. Certified and licensed speech language pathologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of:

• Speech and Language Disabilities: 
  • stuttering and fluency disorders
  • articulation
  • language delay
• Aphasia
• Apraxia
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (PDD, Asperger's)
• Cognitive deficits
• Dysphagia (swallowing disorders)
• Head injury
• Learning Differences / Learning Disability
• Neurogenic Communication Disorder
• Phonological Disorder
• Pragmatic Disorder
• Voice disorders

In addition, speech improvement programs and accent modification programs are available by our trained staff who have an additional certification in foreign accent reduction.

Evaluations
Prior to initiating speech and/or language therapy for a child or an adult with a potential language problem, an evaluation is completed. An evaluation will include taking a case history, assessing comprehension and expression of language, speech production, and fluency. Based on the results of the evaluation, recommendations will be made. If needed, a treatment program will be designed based on the strengths and weaknesses found during the examination. Referrals to other professionals may also be made to provide the most comprehensive and best care for the client.

If speech/language therapy is indicated:

For Preschool Children – Therapy may address:

• Receptive language skills (attention and listening skills; vocabulary development; following directions; understanding sentences and stories; responding to communicative intent of peers and adult partners).
• Expressive language skills (using age-appropriate phonology and articulation skills; using a variety of words; formulating simple and complex sentences; expressing a variety of communicative functions; engaging with peers).
• Play, social interaction, and emergent literacy skills (using toys, props, and literacy materials in dramatic play; interacting appropriately with others; interacting with books and demonstrating emergent writing skills).
• Oral narrative skills (from sequences to simple stories).

For School-aged Children – Therapy may address:

• Knowledge and use of language for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking.
• Spoken and written language for social, educational, and vocational functions, with an emphasis on participation in specific activities identified as problematic for the individual.
• Contextual factors that influence the individual's relative success or difficulty in those activities.

For Individuals with Cognitive-Communication and Auditory Processing Disorders

• Formulation of an intervention plan based on concerns, symptoms, history, auditory processing test results, and participation in activities that have been identified as problematic.
• Enhancement of cognitive-communication and language resources for processing spoken and written language at the phoneme, word, sentence, and discourse level.
• Recommendations for optimizing the listening environment.
• Improvement of auditory processing ability through auditory training and stimulation, language comprehension and production strategies, and/or attention to metalinguistic and metacognitive skills.
• Counseling for individuals, family/caregivers, educators, and other relevant persons.

For Adults with Aphasia, Dysarthria, Apraxia

• Knowledge and use of language for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking.
• Spoken and written language for social, educational, and vocational activities, with an emphasis on participation in specific activities identified as problematic for the individual.
• Compensatory communication techniques and strategies including the use of augmentative and alternative communication or other assistive technology.
• Training of others in the individual's environment to use communication strategies, cuing techniques, and/or assistive technology.

For Children and Adults with Voice Disorders

• Appropriate voice care and conservation guidelines, including strategies that promote healthy laryngeal tissues and voice production and reduce laryngeal trauma or strain.
• Proper use of respiratory, phonatory, and resonatory processes to achieve improved voice production, coordination of respiration and laryngeal valving, with appropriate treatment to enhance these behaviors.
• Follow-up, including interdisciplinary referrals, for other speech and health problems that may accompany the voice disorder.

To schedule a speech/language or voice evaluation, please contact Shelly Hahn, CCC/SLP at ext 261.