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WHAT SERVICES DOES A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST PROVIDE?
Speech Language Pathologists identify, assess and rehabilitate children and adults with a variety of communication disorders. We assess those communication difficulties, plan and implement treatment in language, speech, voice and/or swallowing disorders, design and employ augmentative and alternative communication, facilitate accent reduction, consult regarding language stimulation and inclusion strategies, and teach adaptation for language impaired students.
We counsel clients and families and provide referrals to other professionals. We are committed to ongoing research and public education, and are often part of teams which include physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers, counselors, occupational therapists and physical therapists.
AT CONNECTIONS SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CENTRE…
Clinic-based services include comprehensive assessments, consultations, individualized therapy, and small group instruction. Telepractice is also offered for all of the above services with the exception of social groups. We believe that learning should be a fun and happy experience! Your child learns and grows best in a rich environment of positive reinforcement and one-on-one interaction. Therapy is always family centred, focusing on both the unique needs of your child and those of the whole family. With a focus on excellence in implementing treatment programs, we collaborate frequently with other professionals, involve parents/caregivers, and continually expand clinical areas of expertise. We are passionate about improving communication skills and motivating others to reach their goals.
We offer individualized programs designed to improve pediatric speech or language delays due to:
- Articulation and Phonological Delays/Disorders
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders (such as low and high functioning autism, PDD-NOS and aspergers syndrome)
- Augmentative Alternative Communication
- Developmental Apraxia/Dyspraxia
- Receptive and Expressive Language Delay/Disorder
(vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, question comprehension, concepts, narrative/story telling skills)
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- Critical Thinking Skills (problems solving, predicting, making inferences, determining causes, understanding ‘the big picture’)
- Oral Motor Dysfunction
- Dysarthria
- Pragmatic/Social Language Disorders
- Swallowing Disorders
- Voice Disorders
- Auditory Processing/Comprehension Disorders (auditory memory skills)
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WHEN TO SEE A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST?
Please review the following articles from CASLPA, The Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists:
Here are some warning signs for problems in speech or language development. If your child displays any of the below symptoms, consult a speech and language pathologist for a consultation:
- Speaks using incomplete sentences
- Seems unable to follow oral directions
- Avoids, stumbles, or gets stuck on certain words and sounds
- Has difficulty playing or communicating with friends
- Has difficulty maintaining topics in conversation and tends to go off on ‘tangents’
- Misses jokes or laughs inappropriately
- Has difficulty engaging peers and tends to play alone
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- Avoids eye contact
- Struggles with reading and writing despite good oral language skills.
- Has problems swallowing or chewing or is a picky eater
- Has frequent or long-term hoarseness
- Is unable to control the volume of his/her speech appropriately
- Has a history of chronic ear infections
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