Speech and Language Services
What is Speech-Language Therapy and how can it help?
Speech-Language therapy focuses on supporting and enhancing an individual’s communication skills so that they can effectively communicate with others in their environment. A registered Speech-Language Pathologist will complete an assessment and identify your child’s strengths and areas of need. Based on the assessment results, your child will receive an individualized treatment plan and receive in clinic comprehensive therapy services. Consultation and collaboration with your child’s treatment team is provided in order to foster a consistent learning environment and a multi-disciplinary treatment approach. Parent coaching/training is provided to ensure that gains made in therapy are transferred over to the home environment.
When should I contact a Speech-Language Pathologist?
You should contact a Speech-Language Pathologist if your child is exhibiting difficulties:
- Pronouncing sounds/ words and is difficult to understand
- Understanding and following directions
- Reading or writing
- Speaking or is using limited language
- Interacting or playing with others
- Producing fluent speech or is having trouble getting their message across to others
What does a Speech-Language therapy session look like?
Speech-Language therapy can take many forms. It can occur in a small group or one-on-one. Activities may vary depending on your child’s age and areas of need. At our clinic, Speech-Language Pathologists take a client-centered approach to facilitate your child’s speech and language development. Therapy targets are embedded are often embedded in the following activities:
- Play-based activities during naturally occurring routines
- Shared book reading
- Role play and social stories
- Modelling and expansion of your child’s speech
Areas of focus for Speech-Language Therapy:
Our team works with children presenting variety of concerns and targets skills across multiple developmental domains. Our individualized treatment plans draw on best clinical practice and evidence-based treatments.
Disorders and presenting concerns we support:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and other social communication challenges
- Speech Sound Disorders (e.g., articulation, phonological processing)
- Motor- Speech disorders (e.g., apraxia, dysarthria)
- Expressive and receptive language delays and disorders
- Fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering, cluttering)
Skills developed in Speech-Language Therapy:
- Literacy
- Communication skills
- Social-emotional skill
Do you work with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices?
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can be used to help support your child’s expressive and receptive language skills, providing them with the means to interact with others in their environment. A Speech-Language Pathologist utilizes different modelling and expansion techniques to facilitate back-and-forth interactions with your child through a variety of no, low, and high-tech devices. Some examples include:
- Picture symbols: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- AAC applications on an iPad:
- TDSnap
- Proloquo2Go
- TouchChat
- LAMP
- GoTalkNow