SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND FEEDING THERAPY
Services
We perform evaluations and provide therapy/treatment for the following areas:
Speech
"Speech" is your child's ability to produce sounds and to coordinate these sounds to create words.
If your child struggles with producing (using) certain sounds, speech therapy will be aimed at
improving these sound errors and increasing coordination when producing these sounds in words
and phrases/sentences.
We incorporate PROMPT and/or the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol when needed for articulation
concerns and motor speech disorders, such as Apraxia.
Please note that Auditory Processing is difficulty with understanding and processing sounds. It
may seem like your child has a speech delay/disorder related to their ability to produce sounds,
but in reality it is a difficulty with the ability to understand them.
"Language" is your child's ability to understand and use words for the purpose of forming sentences, engaging in conversation, making requests, asking and answering questions, expressing
themselves, and much more!
If your child struggles with his language, you will likely notice increased frustration as your child
struggles to be understood. Language therapy is aimed at improving communication skills in
order to increase the ability to communicate wants and needs, form requests, ask and answer
questions, and more.
. . A few language terms you may already be familiar with:
Receptive Language: The ability to understand language
Expressive Language: The ability to use language
Language
Feeding Therapy and Oral Motor Therapy target areas such as:
* Increase range of motion, strength and/or coordination of the lips and tongue
* Improve drinking from a bottle or cup
* Facilitate mature chewing patterns
* Facilitate normal jaw patterns
* Decrease Oral Defensiveness (averse reactions to sensations in/around the mouth)
* Decrease oral secretions (drooling)
* Introduce positive mealtime routines and behaviors
* Implement home feeding routines and schedules
* Reduce aversions to textures/foods
* Introduce foods and texture
* Parent coaching for when to discontinue use of pacifiers, introduce solid foods, introduce open cups, etc.
Feeding & Oral Motor
The PROMPT Technique can be used to target speech production disorders in children above the age of 6 months. When we use the PROMPT Technique, we are targeting all domains and systems in order to assist with sound production. According to the PROMPT Institute, PROMPT is "a program to develop motor skill in the development of language for interaction". This means that the PROMPT Technique assists children in increasing their motor skills in order to produce sounds, with the purpose of creating language for communication purposes! The PROMPT Technique targets the physical-sensory, cognitive-linguistic, and social-emotional aspects of motor performance.
The Beckman Oral Motor Protocol uses assisted movement and stretch reflexes to assist with strengthening the muscles used for oral motor activities, and increasing their coordination. This method can assist with increasing tone, decreasing the presence of drooling, increasing sound production, assisting with feeding, and beyond. In order to use this method, children are not required to participate cognitively. This means that the child does not need to actively be able to follow directions in order to complete the tasks associated with this method/protocol.
PROMPT and Beckman Oral Motor Protocol
"Pragmatic" (Social) Language is your child's ability to use social skills when communicating with
others and when playing alone.
Pragmatic language therapy targets social skills such as: following directions, using eye contact when speaking and when spoken to, engaging in joint attention with others, forming appropriate responses
and conversation, remaining engaged in tasks, engaging in functional play, and much more.
Pragmatic Language
"Cognitive Communication" is your child's ability to organize thoughts, maintain attention, use
problem solving skills, and use memory techniques.
If your child struggles in any of these areas, therapy will be aimed at increasing their cognitive skills.
Cognitive Communication
Areas of Therapy Include:
Oral Motor Structure and Function | Feeding Therapy | Apraxia
Autism Spectrum Disorder | Cleft Lip and Palate