The primary goal of speech and language therapy is to strengthen skills that will allow children to communicate more effectively with others. Building early communication skills has been found to increase intelligible speech, improve children’s ability to understand and express thoughts and feelings, reduce frustration, enhance social and emotional wellbeing and set the stage for early learning.

Services at a Glance

Initial Consultation

A free consultation is recommended to discuss your child’s strengths and concerns, to offer suggestions and to determine possible next steps.

Assessment

If recommended, your child may participate in an individualized, speech and/or language assessment to determine the need for therapeutic intervention and to develop a personalized treatment plan. Based on your child’s individual needs, areas of assessment may include: speech sound production, general mouth strength and coordination, fluency, voice, resonance, receptive and expressive language skills, social interactions and play.

The process generally includes the following…

Parent/Caregiver Reporting Prior to the assessment, your family will be asked to complete an intake packet to provide relevant background information, share your child’s strengths and interests and describe concerns pertaining to communication.

Informal Assessment Informal measures generally include clinical observation of your child’s communication and speech-language sampling during play-based activities.

Formal Assessment When possible, standardized assessment procedures are administered using child-friendly strategies that are presented in the guise of fun.

Assessment Results Following the assessment, a detailed written report will be provided to the family. If indicated, the report will include a speech-language diagnosis and individualized treatment plan. During a follow-up meeting, the provider will walk the family through assessment findings and recommendations.

Therapy

Therapeutic planning and goals are individually selected and based upon family input, assessment findings and clinical expertise. For young children, therapy may look like a combination of play and structured activities.

Therapeutic sessions are provided in the convenience of the family’s home, as well as daycares and preschools (where permitted) and virtually (via Zoom). Feedback and at-home practice activities are provided to families on a regular basis.