Speech therapy is for all

inconsistent communication

If you're considering speech therapy for yourself or a loved one, ask yourself -

Is the communication efficient,
functional, and manageable?

Speech Therapy is for All Ages

Since the speech therapy scope of practice is so wide, I work with

infants, toddlers, school-aged students, adults, and seniors.

Articulation is how we pronounce our sounds.

Does your child have trouble pronouncing sounds? How often can you understand your child? Do they mix-up sounds or make slushy sounds? Does their tongue ever stick out when they say the /s/ sound?

A 5-year-old child should be 100% understandable by their parents. They should have most of their sounds, but may still be working on the /r/ or /th/ sounds.

Language is our ability to understand words and pick the right words.

Can your child express their needs reliably? Do they get stuck on phrases or repeat back your words exactly as you said them? Can they follow directions accurately and independently? Can they differentiate between wh- questions?

A 5-year-old should be able to follow multi-step directions, have a short back-and-forth conversation, use a vocabulary of at least 1,000 words, and always be able to express their basics wants and needs.

Some children don't speak. This could be caused by a developmental delay, difficulty coordinating their motor structures, or simply the child's preference.

There are many ways to supplement spoken words, including: gestures, sign language, and (my favorite) speech-generating iPad applications.

This technique is great for speaking children too as it provides multisensory prompting to reinforce speech concepts.

stuttering - repeating sounds, words, or phrases
feeding - eating a limited variety of food
swallowing - using a safe, efficient swallow when eating
oral motor - stretching and strengthening the muscles of the mouth
voice - quality and tone of the voice
social skills - reciprocal conversations, staying on topic, prob solving
life skills - ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions