Pediatric Speech Therapy (ST)

As pediatric speech-language pathologists, we provide services across the domains of speech sound production, joint attention, play, language, fluency (stuttering), executive functioning, augmentative-alternative Communication (AAC), social communication, voice, and feeding. Therapy is individualized and meaningful, with a focus on family-centered goals and therapeutic targets to help the child progress in the clinic, at school, and at home. Children with the following difficulties may benefit from speech therapy services:

Speech sounds

• Speech that is difficult to understand
• Difficulty articulating speech sounds that are expected to be correctly pronounced at the child’s age
  
  

Language

• “Late talkers”
• Errors with word order, word meaning, word retrieval, or understanding of words
• Difficulty answering wh- and comprehension questions
• Difficulty following directions
  
  

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

• Minimal verbal communication
• Verbal communication is difficult for others to understand
• Use of communication device, hand signs, or picture exchange to communicate
  
  

Social Communication

• Difficulty providing on-topic responses, asking follow-up questions, commenting and conversing about non-preferred topics
• Difficulty interpreting facial expressions, body language, and social situations
• Difficulty appropriately reacting to social problems
• Difficulty engaging in a group
• Difficulty understanding social nuances  
• Difficulty initiating and maintaining friendships
  
  

Feeding 

• Gagging, choking, or coughing while eating
• Food and liquid spills out of the mouth while eating or drinking
• Inadequate chewing and tongue movement 
• Difficulty swallowing
• Eats limited foods and brands of foods 
  
  

Joint attention/Play

• Difficulty attending to and engaging with peers and adults
• Difficulty engaging in shared play and turn-taking
  
  

Cognition

• Difficulty managing symptoms post-traumatic brain injury
• Difficulty completing assignments, planning, prioritizing, etc.
  
  

Voice/Resonance

• Voice has atypical pitch, hoarseness, strain, or breathiness
• Voice does not sound typical for a child’s age/gender
• Voice is lost by the end of the day
• Speech is too nasally/flowing through the nose
• Speech sounds like the nose is plugged
  
  

Stuttering/Cluttering

• Repetition of sounds or words (i.e. puh-puh-pancakes)
• Sounds are prolonged (i.e. ssssssssssnake)
• Words are difficult for the child to “get out” 
• Rapid speech/ words blurring together
  
  

Get Started

Please contact us for further information or to discuss your child’s health with a dedicated therapist.
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