Speech Therapy Services
AAC • Feeding • Early Intervention • Cerebal Palsy • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Angelman Syndrome • TBI • Caregiver Coaching
AAC THERAPY
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. If your child needs AAC therapy, it means they could benefit from learning different ways to communicate besides talking with their mouth. AAC therapy can involve using things like:
Pictures, either real or drawn
Objects they can touch
Looking at things with their eyes
Using special apps on iPads or tablets that speak for them
Sign language
Buttons that talk when pressed
Books with symbols or pictures to help them communicate
Writing or typing
Learning to communicate this way doesn't stop your child from learning to talk. Sometimes, kids just need another way to understand words before they can say them. Even if your child can say some words, AAC therapy can help them learn more words, communicate better, or be understood more easily.
AAC EVALUATIONS
An evaluation will be conducted to trial different communication systems. You can expect us to discuss your child’s medical and developmental history, their current ways they communicate, and your concerns. Additionally, AAC evaluations can involve your therapist observing or asking questions about your child’s:
Gross motor and fine motor skills
Vision and hearing status
Cognitive skills
Language skills
Seating and positioning (if in wheelchair or bedbound)
The trialing of different communication systems might extend several days to several weeks past the initial evaluation date, dependent upon your child’s needs. If your child has other therapists, I will collaborate with them.
If a speech generating device is chosen, an insurance funding report will be written. Coverage for speech generating devices are different from insurance to insurance. I will be able to assist you in figuring out your insurance’s specific coverage.
FEEDING THERAPY
Eating isn't as simple as just chewing and swallowing. It's a process that involves many skills we learn from infancy. Sometimes, kids can have trouble with eating for different reasons, which can make mealtime tricky. Feeding therapy can help by:
Making the muscles in the face stronger and better coordinated for chewing and swallowing
Helping your child get used to different textures and tastes of food
Dealing with behaviors that happen during mealtime
Teaching your child about food in a fun way through play
I'm trained to help with feeding difficulties in babies, toddlers, kids, and teens.
FEEDING EVALUATIONS
An evaluation will be conducted to develop a care plan that address your child’s individualized needs. You can expect to discuss your child’s medical and developmental history, their current diet, and any concerns you may have. Feeding evaluations can involve your therapist observing your child:
Drinking from breast, bottle or cup
Interacting with their favorite foods
Interacting with foods they do not like
Sitting down for a meal
Depending on your child’s age, you may be asked to take a video of the list above ahead of time.
If you can, save their meal or snack time for during the evaluation. Hunger increases the chance of participating with new foods.
Speech and language THERAPY
Language refers to how we both express our thoughts and understand what is being spoken around us. It’s the content of what we say. Language therapy can involve working on:
Understanding of things like questions, directions, and vocabulary
Expression of their thoughts
Grammatical errors
Social skills
Speech refers to the sounds we make when we speak. Speech therapy can involve working on:
Correcting mispronounced speech sounds
Teaching delayed speech sounds
Decreasing substitions or deletions of speech sounds
speech and language EVALUATIONS
An evaluation will be conducted to develop a care plan that address your child’s individualized needs. You can expect to discuss your child’s medical and developmental history, their communication skills in different environments, and any concerns you may have. Additionally, speech and language evaluations can involve:
Tests and assessments, if appropriate for the child
Play based assessments and observations
Looking at how mouth muscles are used while talking
If your child receives speech and language service through their school, please provide a copy of their IEP.
EVALUATIONS
All clients must be evaluated prior to starting therapy. The evaluation will last up anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on your child’s needs, and will consist of a combination of the following:
Interviews with you or the child’s other caregivers
Play based observations
Formal and informal assessments
Evaluations come with a report and care plan that will be submitted to your doctor’s office and insurance.
APPROACH TO THERAPY
My therapy style is highly collaborative. Sessions are spent providing direct treatment, but also coaching and educating caregivers on strategies to use within the home. I use the following strategies in our therapy:
Child-Led
Play Therapy
Total Communication
Strengths Based
Treatment sessions are 30 to 45 minutes in length, depending on your child’s needs.