What is Speech-Language Pathology?
Speech-language pathology focuses on all aspects of communication including understanding spoken and written language, expressing yourself verbally or nonverbally, production of speech sounds and motor-speech skills, and understanding and using various aspects of socialization. Additionally, we focus on feeding and swallowing, working with children to improve oral-motor skills and sensory processing for greater success when eating. We also focus on cognitive communication skills including attention, problem solving, organization, and memory.
From early development of language and speech to improve executive functioning skills necessary for having a job, speech-language pathologists can help give children and adults the skills they need to succeed anywhere they need to eat or communicate.
Would my child benefit from Speech & Language Therapy?
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s ability to communicate with you or their peers, manage various food textures safely, express or understand spoken or written language, or organize and problem solve in daily life, a speech-language evaluation could help.
Speech-language evaluations can identify areas for growth in:
- Expressive and receptive language
- Articulation or phonological disorders
- Apraxia of speech
- Dysarthria
- Social communication
- Fluency
- Cognitive communication
- Dysphagia (feeding and swallowing disorders)
- Auditory processing
- Oral motor
- Executive functioning
After a speech-language evaluation, if your child would benefit from our services, the therapist will collaborate with you to create a personalized treatment plan for your child.
Check out some goals that have been achieved:
- Saying their name for the first time
- Taking a coffee order
- Playing with friends
- Drinking from a cup
- Blowing out birthday candles
- Progression from feeding tube to eating by mouth
PROMPT
We are now offering PROMPT therapy for individuals with motor planning or speech sound difficulties!
What is PROMPT Therapy?
PROMPT is an acronym that stands for Prompts for Reconstructing Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. PROMPT-trained speech therapists use a tactile-kinesthetic (touch and movement) approach where cues are used on the jaw, lips, and tongue to manually guide the individual to produce a targeted word, phrase, or sentence.
PROMPT uses a holistic approach to therapy where we systematically determine where motor breakdowns occur using unique assessment tools and a Conceptual Framework to help determine priorities in treatment. This is highly specific to the client’s interests and family needs. This framework encompasses that communication is an interaction between the Social-Emotional ability to connect with others, the Cognitive-Linguistic understanding of language, and Physical-Sensory ability to produce certain words. If any of these areas are disordered or delayed, the client’s ability to communicate with others and their environment is impacted.
PROMPT focuses on the importance of functional speech where we choose targets that are relevant and have meaning to the client. That way the client is connected and motivated to what he or she is learning. The PROMPT trained SLP will choose specific words to target while engaged in a motivating activity or game that offers consistent, repetitive practice. Speech targets can also be implemented within more functional, naturalistic interactions.
PROMPT can benefit individuals with the following diagnoses:
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech/ Motor Planning Difficulties
- Dysarthria/ Muscle Weakness
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Developmental Delays
- Cleft Palate or Craniofacial Anomalies
- Neurological Conditions
- Cerebral Palsy
- Autism (including non-speaking and minimally speaking)
*PROMPT trained therapists have completed the Introduction level of PROMPT training. These therapists have a brief understanding of PROMPT assessment and treatment planning and are typically focused on mastering their hand technique in applying PROMPTs to their clients*