FAQs

Speech therapy helps establish the speech and language skills vital for effective communication. Our speech-language pathologists work with individuals with a variety of disabilities including voice, articulation, stuttering, swallowing, heating impairment and auditory processing, and language disorders.

Our speech therapists help children establish their speech and language skills for effective communication. This is achieved through the evaluation and treatment of expressive and receptive language, problem solving and reasoning, social skills, sign language, and augmentative communication.

Most children make some mistakes as they learn to say new words. A speech sound disorder, also referred to as an articulation disorder of phonological disorder, occurs when mistakes continue past a certain age. Every sound has a different range of ages when the child should make the sound correctly. Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (making sounds) and phonological processes (sound patterns).

Speech sound disorders can negatively impact a child’s performance at school. This may cause a child to be less likely to speak out in class and to engage with other children socially. Difficulty distinguishing between correct and incorrect production of sounds may cause difficulty in learning phonics and in turn difficulty learning to read and spell.

Speech therapy can help your child with their expressive and receptive language, problem solving and reasoning, social skills, sign language, and augmentative communication skills. It can also improve children’s pre-speech and feeding skills, swallowing, and oral-motor development.

• birth injuries or birth defects
• decreased range of motion of of neck, body, of limbs
• sensory processing disorders
• traumatic injuries to the brain or spinal cord
• decreased strength of body and limbs
• autism
• fine motor difficulties such as handwriting, buttoning, and picking up small items
• Self-care delays in dressing, grooming, brushing teeth, etc.
• broken bones or other orthopedic injuries
• developmental delays
• Bilateral coordination difficulties such as tying shoes and catching a ball
• post-surgical conditions
• burns
• spina bifida
• gross motor difficulties
• traumatic amputations
• multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other chronic illnesses

Occupational therapists evaluate and treat children and adults who have difficulty participating in meaningful activities which are considered one’s occupations. These occupations could be self-care activities such as dressing and brushing teeth, play and leisure activities, and work or educational activities.

Occupational therapists help children of all ages in a variety of areas. For example, an occupational therapist can help toddlers who may not have well-developed motor skills used in activities such as playing with blocks or turning pages of a book. They can also assist in developing early self-care skills like helping to put on socks and shoes.

School-age children may struggle with daily activities in and out of the classroom such as handwriting, use of scissors, and functioning independently in the cafeteria. Occupational therapists may also assist this age group with engaging in play and leisure activities such as climbing playground equipment, riding a scooter, and participating in athletic games.

Some signs that your child may have sensory processing difficulties include shutting down when challenged or avoiding contact with particular textures. They may not like to climb jungle gyms, or they may fidget or seek out movement to such an extent that it negatively impacts their ability to successfully complete daily activities or participate in certain environments. For children facing these types of challenges, occupational therapy can be helpful and create betterment in one’s daily routine and lifestyle.